Mass Effect: Star-Crossed Lovers
by SilentPony
Summary: It started off as a favor between friends, but ended up changing the fate of the Galaxy forever. This is the story of the love that was never supposed to happen. Rated M for good reasons Image from Sorceress-Nadira on DeviantArt. Used with permission: /
1. Chapter 1

Okay this is my take on an Ash/Kadien story, or as I call them Ashenko.

This is **mature**, so all you youngster get on out of here.

I don't plan on this being just a one shot, but that all depends on if readers really want me to continue. I also DO have a plot, so it won't be all smut and dirty language. I do plan on changing a few things, so consider this AU for all intents and purposes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or any of the characters therein.

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Tensions had been running high on the Normandy for weeks now. Between their hunt from Saren and the accompanying stone-walling from the Citadel Council and the seemingly constant missions handed down from Alliance HQ, everyone was feeling the strain. Save for the ground team, no one had left the ship in over two months and for lack of a better term the crew was getting cabin fever. Tempers were flaring, productivity was starting to slack and there was a general malevolent atmosphere hanging above everyone.

Ashley found herself at the mess table during her down time with several of the female members of the crew. She had been fading in and out of their conversation for several minutes as she used a fork to grind her disgusting excuse for meatloaf into a brown paste.

"I'm telling I'm going crazy." CIC communication specialist Monica Negulesco sighed, "I haven't left this boat since we were last on the Citadel."

"Least you got to leave then." Amanda Tsucko leaned back in her chair, hands folding over her stomach, "Adams had all of engineering working overtime to test the new shields." She paused and sipped from a cup, "You're lucky Williams. Least you get to go groundside every few days."

"Not sure if I'd call that lucky, Tsucko." Ashley replied with a smirk, "The worst you have to deal with is a wire shorting. I get shot at by Geth on a regular basis."

"Yeah but at least you get out." Monica sighed, "I'd take an exciting gunfight over another of Pressley's speeches any day."

"You wouldn't say that if you ever did one." Ashley replied, "That Mako is cramped and usually the Skipper lets us grunts do the work while she goes off the Dr. T'Soni looking for Prothean Ruins."

"Lucky bitch gets all the blue ass she wants." Amanda growled, "I haven't gotten any in months. I've got cobwebs in my vag."

"I had a hookup on the Citadel last time, but the dude was all bark, no bite." Monica crossed her arms and huffed, "Barely got five minutes out of him. Left me all pent up."

Ashley looked down at her food, ignoring the two as they descended into an all too familiar conversation. It was a staple of their daily lunches; getting laid. Ashley always tried to stay out of it, telling herself if she ignored their banter she could ignore the itches in her body.

_Fourteen months_.

Fourteen long, lonely and painful months since she had shared a bunk with anyone, and even then it had been an ill-conceived one night stand with an ex-boyfriend before she shipped out with the 212. There had been no one of Eden Prime; she didn't' have the time. Between the constant patrols and long nights guarding the dig sights, she had nothing but a vibrator to keep her company at night.

After the Geth attack her libido had all but died. You don't see your entire company wiped out almost to the man and then go get laid. Not to mention being on Shepard's ground team meant she rarely got free time when they docked at the Citadel.

"Another reason you're lucky, Ash." Monica said, leaning forward, and pulling the Gunnery-Chief from her thoughts "Us ship girls don't get off every other day."

"Excuse me?" Ashley's eyes widened. Her cheeks flushed with heat.

"Oh don't play coy." Monica smirked, "You're in that Mako for hours with Lieutenant Alenko on survey missions, and we know you two have been doing a little extra drilling on the side."

"I…I never…" Ashley stammered. Unbidden ideas and fantasies played in her mind. The LT was a looker that was for sure. If you liked them tall dark and handsome he was your wet dream. But she had never seen him as anything but the Lieutenant. He was her friend and comrade. He had been part of the team to save her on Eden Prime and he had personally seen to her transfer onto the Normandy. Hell, in the painfully few times Shepard, Kaidan and Ash had all had free time they had gone for drinks. When not in his little shell the LT was actually a riot to be around. He was a great friend, sure, but he was just a friend.

And somehow that was depressing. Ash had been in that damned tank for hours on end with him and the most they ever did was chitchat about gossip or galactic politics. Once she had even brought down a deck of cards for a particularly long seismic scan. They had played poker and blackjack for three hours.

_How pathetic was that?!_

Why didn't she fuck him then? More importantly why did that idea not even enter her mind?

Oh yeah! He had a superior officer and she wasn't completely stupid.

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much." Monica smirked, enjoying the narrowing of the eyes from Williams. "So tell us, how is it? I always figured he'd be a lot to take in. Long and thick."

"I wouldn't know, Mon." Ash said firmly, "I've never banged the LT."

"Bullshit." Monica declared hotly, "I'm calling bullshit."

"It's the truth!" Ash protested, "Why would I fuck my superior officer? There are regs against that."

"Well yeah, if you get caught." Amanda put in, "There are also regs against the maximum number of days a crewmember can go without shore leave. Alliance doesn't seem to care about that."

"Seriously?" Monica leaned forward, looking Ashley in the eyes, "You're serious? All those trips to the surface, looking for minerals and hard metals and you never tested out his equipment?"

"Not even once." Ash didn't know what bothered her more; the fact her friends thought she was getting it from Lieutenant Alenko, or the fact she _wasn't_.

"That is the saddest thing I've ever heard." Amanda sighed, earning a glare from Ashley.

"Seriously. I thought we had it bad, but you sit next to Alenko all day long and all you do is eye-bang him…" Monica shook her head sadly and Ashley bristled, "Such a waste of good man meat."

This conversation was getting a little too close to home for comfort. He was a superior officer for Christ's sake! These women shouldn't be talking about him like he was a dick on legs. He was an amazing Marine and he had the respect of the entire crew; they should show it!

"Why is it a waste I'm not risking my career just to get my cobwebs cleared out?" Ashley said with clenched teeth.

"Because Lieutenant Alenko is a drop dead sexy hunk." Monica cooed, eyes glazed over and smiling dopey, "You ever see him when he's really focused on a task?"

"Oh! That pout thing his lips do!" Amanda exclaimed, "Don't you just want to suck and bite on those lips until he smiles?

"Every time!" Monica smirked "I'd give him something to smile about." Ashley blinked rapidly between the two women as they went on.

"Those arms!"

"Those smoky eyes!"

"I just want him to whisper in my ear!"

"God, I wonder if his biotics make him a God in bed."

"Ooohhh…Biotic cock! All the benefits of the real thing with the electrical charge of a toy. God…"

"Stop!" Ashley slammed her hand on the table, startling the two women, "Seriously I get you're both horny and revved up, but I still have to work with that man. I don't want to be thinking about his pouting lips or arms or…or whether his biotics make his dick light up like a fucking Christmas tree."

"…so you _did_ notice the lips thing?" Amanda whispered, earning a snorted laugh from Monica and a glare from Ashley.

"I'm done here." Ashley stood up suddenly, scooping her utensils and tray. The others moaned in annoyance but she ignored them. Despite her protests she knew she had lingered too long already. She would never be able to spend time with the Lieutenant again without thinking of his brown eyes as 'smoky' or his lips as 'pouty'.

Thankfully she wasn't slated to go on deployment for a few days. She could get over this funk her brain was in and maybe some time with her personal effects would get rid of that itch between her legs. She made a beeline for the women's dorm. She needed a long cold shower.

"Hey Williams!?" A hard, feminine voice called out. Ash froze and spun on her heel, snapping a sharp salute as she recognized the voice.

"Yes ma'am?" She replied firmly. Shepard smirked as she walked over and Ashley noticed a datapad in her commander's hands.

"At ease." Shepard smiled, "Christ how many times do I have to tell you people to stop saluting me. And it's just Shepard."

"Sorry ma'- Sorry, Shepard." Ashley said meekly, "Old habits and all…" Shepard hummed a response and glanced down at the pad.

"Glad I caught you." She muttered almost off-handedly. She held out the datapad for Ashley to take, "Orders from Alliance HQ. They want us to check out some planets in the Hydra system. We'll be there with an hour or so. Get suited up. I have to get the others."

"Others ma'am?" Ashley repeated, her heart beating a little faster.

"Yeah another bullshit survey mission." Shepard said with a dismissive wave, "Gonna be the same group as always; You, me, Dr. T'Soni…."

_Don't say Alenko. Don't say Alenko. Don't say Alenko. _

"And Lieutenant Alenko."

Over at the table Amanda and Monica stifled their laughter.

_Oh fuck me…_

0000000

"This is SO exciting!" Tali'Zorah practically squealed as the Mako's seismic scanners set to work. The device, an overly long tube spotted with sensor nods and display panels, hummed to life as the Quarian punched in the activation codes. Blue lights flashed into life along its side and a radar dish at its peak began to slowly rotate, all the while the machine beeped as it complied returns.

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

"Oh yeah…" Ashley mumbled with her arms crossed, "Just riveting."

Alliance HQ had sent them to a verdant if boring backwater world to scan select grid points for platinum and lead deposits. On paper it was supposed to be a five hour mission but in reality, with set up times, delays, fouled up sensor returns and the occasion burned out capacitor in need of replacing it was closer to ten hours; with lots of nothing to do while the machine scanned each grid.

Ashley would be lying if she said she wasn't looking forward to it. A cold shower had failed to quench the fire that had suddenly started smoldering between her legs. It was a stupid idea but she had been hoping to at least get to know Alenko a little better. Try some of her less obvious flirty lines; see if he was in the same boat as the rest of the crew. If they were both sexually pent-up, it would be fairly easy to work out clear-cut rules for a tryst or two.

But Lieutenant Alenko had to go and get one of his terrible migraines and was now laid up in the medbay to sleep the worst of it off. She couldn't get angry at Alenko, nor at the his last minute replacement. But that didn't mean the fire and itch didn't grate at her nerves. She hated herself for it, but she had been nothing short of nasty towards Tali since Shepard and Liara took off in the shuttle to hunt down a Prothean burial site further down the coast.

"Back on the Flotilla we never had anything this advanced!" Tali was bouncing on her heels she was so excited. A fresh set of readings came in, displaying as rune text and numerical values on a blue tinted display. Tali practically hummed as she copied the data onto a datapad.

"So accurate…" The Quarian mumbled under her breath. She looked up at her Marine escort, "Ashley! Come see! We found a mass of magnetic slag in the lithosphere!" Ash glared at the purple visor of the woman. She could just see the toothy grin the engineer was sporting. Ash snorted; Quarians got off to high-tech equipment. Who knew?

"I've seen shit like that before, Tali." Ashley responded coldly. Tali visibly deflated and let the datapad hang from its strap across her waist. She approached the Gunnery-Chief hesitantly.

"Have…have I offended in some way, Chief Williams?" The girl asked in a soft voice. Ash sighed, feeling ashamed of herself, the situation and her bitchy attitude towards the young woman. Truth be told she enjoyed Tali. Of the entire crew only their Quarian engineer seemed immune to cabin-fever and prolonged deployments.

"I…I'm sorry Tali." Ashley said and motioned for the woman to take a seat on a rock across from her, "I'm not myself."

"It's not one of those colds again, is it?" The Quarian shrunk back slightly. Ashley snorted.

_Not a cold, but a fire. _

"No, nothing like that." Ashley waved her worries away, "You're safe."

"Oh good…" Tali fidgeted with her fingers, "Then why have you been acting like such a bosh'tet?"

Ashley groaned and leaned back, placing the Mrk V Banshee assault rifle she had been polishing for the last hour down on the grass.

"Its personal." She said simply. She wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to tell the young Quarian about her sudden desire to hump their Lieutenant. Tali wasn't Alliance and Ash couldn't see her running off to Shepard to rat her out, but still Ashley hesitated. She wasn't even sure Tali would understand. Quarians had sex; they had to in-order to survive. But their suits made it damn near impossible to fuck anyone without falling into an allergenic coma.

Ash paused; maybe Tali was the perfect person to talk to.

"I'm sure you've noticed the crew had been a little…on edge, lately."

"I have." Tali nodded, "Back on the Flotilla we call that ask'ta. Star sickness is the literal translation. That's why there are a lot of resources funneled into recreation ships and leisure activities. A ship's captain can't afford for their crew to get edgy. It's bad for morale and productivity."

"Well we don't have any floating parks, though that would pretty cool." Ash said and fidgeted nervously, "Some humans relieve their stress in more…intimate…ways."

"Oh? OH!" Tali looked away and Ash was sure the girl was blushing, "Oh that. That's not really common on the Flotilla."

"Immune system and all…" Ash ventured.

"That and Quarian courtship is fairly intense, especially for women." Tali said bashfully. A moment passed as Ashley hoped the engineer would be able to put 2 and 2 together without having to say 4. "So…you're ask'ta and you don't have a…intimate partner."

"That's the long and short, yeah." Ashley sighed, "Most of the crew is in the same boat."

"I heard humans were more sexually active then the other races." Tali said absently, "An Asari I shared a shuttle cabin with before arrive on the Citadel told me human males in particular are insatiable."

"Basically."

"So…do you have a partner in mind?" Tali asked. Ash pondered for along moment, wondering if it was too late to jump ship on this conversation. But no, she was in too deep.

"It's not you. No offense." Ashley said quickly, holding up her hands gently, "I'm just not into aliens. Or women."

"None taken. I wouldn't be into you anyway either." Tali smirked behind her mask and Ashley snorted.

"But…there is a guy up there" Ash looked away, her cheeks growing red, "that I wouldn't mind…relieving stress with."

"Who?" Tali chirped and Ashley was suddenly reminded of her little sister, such was the young girl's enthusiasm, "Who?!"

"Look I need you to promise not to tell Commander Shepard." Ash looked over her shoulder, as if mentioning their commander would suddenly materialize behind her.

"Ash, come on. I would never do that." Tali sounded almost offended. Ash smiled at her, but looked away.

"…Kaidan." She mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" Tali leaned forward, glowing eyes alight with amusement behind her visor, "It sounded like-"

"Kaidan, okay? Lieutenant Alenko!" Ashley declared. The silence that followed was deafening. The wind howled and the grass swayed. Tali's eyes stayed lock on the Gunnery-Chief for a long, hard moment.

"…really?" Tali asked eventually, and Ashley bristled at the surprise in the Quarian's voice, "Why him?"

Ashley sighed and looked away. Monica and Amanda's words played over in her mind and she found she had always thought Kaidan was sexy, she just never understood that. "He's just...sexy. Those eyes, those lips, and his voice" She smiled despite the fact she was fanning the fires in her body, "It's hard to not want him"

"Engineer Tsucko talks like that." Tali chuckled, "She lusts after just about every man on the crew."

"Yeah. She was the one who gave me this damn idea." Ash muttered and put a hand to her forehead, "Christ's sakes Tali, why can't I get his lips out of my mind? I never in what, four months on the Normandy saw him as sexual or as a man or any of this schoolgirl crap. But now…" She sighed, "Now it's like a switch went off in my brain and I can't get it to turn off."

"He was supposed to come on this mission…" Tali said suddenly. Ash looked at her for a moment.

"Yeah."

"And I'm here instead."

"…yeah."

"Oh Keelah…" The Quarian put a hand to her visor and shook her head slowly.

"Look I'm not angry at you. I'm…angry at the situation."

"You two had planned something?"

"Well not exactly."

"Does he even know you desire him?"

"I didn't even know until a few hours ago! Some of the crew were talking at lunch and they just got this idea in my head and…fuck I can't get it out."

"Were you just going to jump him down here then?"

"I hadn't planned on it." Ashley snorted, earning a giggle from the Quarian. After a moment she sighed and looked down at her hands, shaking her head in disgust, "Look this absolutely crazy. He's a superior officer and this is ten kinds of against the rules."

"Kaidan is actually a nice guy. He helped me get situated with a bunk in the dorms when I first came aboard. On the Flotilla giving someone something as valuable as a new bed is practically a dowry." For some reason that made Ash's eyes narrow and Tali was quick to add, "Not that I'm into him! I just don't think he would turn you into the space police just for approaching him." Tali fidgeted "I don't have a lot of experience in this stuff, but I can't imagine your situation will be getting better any time soon unless you and him...you know…that."

"Oh Ashley Ashley Ashley…" She shook her head and laughed in self-deprecation, "If dad could see you know…"

"You father joined his ancestors in haven?" Tali questioned softly.

"Heaven." Ash corrected, "And yeah, a few years back. But I still believe he's checking up on me from time to time."

"Would he have enjoyed Lieutenant Alenko?" Tali asked, ignoring the persistent beeping from their scanner as it completed another section of grid. Ash laughed, a nostalgic smile on her face.

"A career man like Alenko? Yeah, he would have loved him. Cooked him something on the grill, give him a beer and talk his ear off about deployments." Ash's smiled turned mournful, "I wish LT could have met my dad."

"So…what's the problem?" Tali asked simply. Ashley looked up, meeting the young woman gaze. She had hoped Tali would teach her a few Quarian methods for ignoring sexual frustration. Instead the Quarian had basically sold her on the idea of getting some from Kaidan.

Ashley sighed.

"At this point, just a migraine."

0000000

Later that night Ashley found herself squaring off against a red leather punching bag. The mission to the surface had taken almost twelve hours and she had been pent up and sexually frustrated the entire time, despite getting a little positive reinforcement from Tali. The hours had dragged on until the blue sun had set in the sky. It had been hell, despite the pleasant company.

And it had all been for naught, at least as far as she could tell. They had written their reports and submitted them to Alliance HQ only to receive a 'Thanks, here's some more' response.

And now the Normandy was enroute to another backwater world for yet another survey mission. The time spent scanning rocks and minerals were rapidly starting to fray Ashley's already stretched nerves. She had need to get some of this pent up energy out.

So in a just a tight-fitting sports bra and short PT shorts that clung to her hips and ass, leaving nothing to the imagination, she had descended into the cargo bay in the middle of the 'night', so much as that word applied in a warship, to burn off some energy.

Ashley snarled and hammered her fist again into the bag. It resisted and pain flared up her hand and forearm. Even with wrapping her fingers in athletic tape her fingers bled with the repeated strikes to the practicing pad. She had lost count of the time, only knowing that in that one moment of sharp pain in each hit the fire in-between her legs was forgotten. She punched again. And again. And again. Each time she snarled and gritted her teeth against the pain and hammered her fists all the harder. Sweat dripped down her forehead and soaked her skin. The air in the bay was chilled, leaving her skin prickling with cold. Sweat soaked into her bra and shorts, causing them to cling firmly to her skin.

The door at the end of the hanger bay opened and Ashley paused for a minute. She guessed it was later into the night shift and the engineers were switching out. Perhaps Tsucko was signing out for the night. Footsteps echoed in the empty hanger and she punched the pad again.

"Ashley?"

It wasn't Tsucko.

She paused, fist resting against the leather pad. She dug her knuckles deeper, enjoying and hating the pain of her bruised and bleeding fingers on hard leather. She gritted her teeth.

"Hey LT." She said without looking and lashed out again. "What are you doing up?"

"Chakwas cleared me for service again. And I've been sleeping all day so no point in hitting the bunks." Kaidan paused to look around and Ash wondered - hell hoped - he was checking out her ass, "What about you? Heard the survey mission was grueling."

"Twelve and a half hours stuck on a boring as shit world, looking at data readings and maps…" She hammered the bag and flinched at the pain that shot through her, "So yeah, you could say that."

"Sorry I couldn't be there."

"Me too." Ash mumbled under her breath. Kaidan made a sound somewhere between a groan and a sigh and came over to lean on the punching bag, ensuing Ash couldn't strike it anymore. She tried not to scowl at him. His was deep in thought and his lips were pouting.

_God I want to ravage them! I'd give him something to smile about!_

"You okay?" Kaidan asked when he silence and her stare had gone on for too long. Ash realized she had been gazing directly at his lips for too long and looking away, blushing furiously. But in periphery on her vision she was sure Kaidan's gaze wondered down to her bra. For a start she realized her nipples were rock hard and ready for action.

"Peachy." She managed, though her voice was barely above 'star-eyed schoolgirl' and nowhere close to the hard-ass Alliance marine she was. Realizing she wasn't going to be boxing anymore tonight, Ash let her hands drop to her sides. Kaidan's eyes narrowed at the sight of glistening blood on her hand wraps.

"Are your hands bleeding?" He reached out and cupped her hand in his. The physical contact drew all the air from Ash's lungs. Her body was pale, sweaty and cold from hours at the pad. Kaidan's skin was hard and warm. It was like his warmth was bleeding into her body through her various bruises. It was intoxicating. "How long have you been at this?"

"...nothing." Ashley whispered then coughed, puling her hands away before she was lost in his suddenly entrancing eyes, "It's nothing LT. Just a graze."

"Come on Ash, don't be like that. Let me see." Kaidan reached again and she let him. His hands were so warm and she felt drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

"They look a lot worse than they feel." She lied. Kaidan was meticulous as he examed her hands. Ash watched his lips bunch up again and her mouth went dry.

_God, just start licking LT!_

"Really?" His voice was hard but not angry. It was tinged with concern and Ash's heart started to beat harder, "because it looks like you've been beating your hands bloody against a punching-bag for a few hours at least."

"As I said, its nothing." Ash said, more ashamed then she meant.

"Wait here, I think there is a medikit in the Mako." He left her there as he strode over to the park tank on the far side

"LT!" Ash called after him. She hated when people fussed over her, but in truth she was more upset she was no longer in his warming proximity. But Ash took the moment to admire his physique. Ash sighed and had to bite her lip; she liked what she saw.

Broad shoulders, thick muscled arms and legs. An ass she just wanted to sink her teeth into.

_Oh yeah that'll do just fine. _

"Don't make me make it an order!" Kaidan teased from somewhere inside the Mako. Ash had to steady herself on the boxing bag. The idea of Kaidan using his superior office to abuse her body was suddenly incredibly arousing.

"So why the sudden urge to beat shit?" He called out.

"Just…relieving some stress is all." Ash managed to keep the lust out of her voice and took that as a small miracle in its own right. Kaidan came out of the tank with a small white container. He set it down on her armory work bench and motioned for Ashley to take a seat next to him. Part of her toyed with the idea of just sitting on him and getting down to business, but she ignored it, painful as it was.

"Kinda' a painful way, don't you think?" He asked absently as he sorted through the various contents.

"Well it's not like I have any other methods." Ash said before she could stop herself. Kaidan looked up from the box, giving her an amused if confused look, as if he wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about. Ashley decided it was better she shut up before she put a foot in her mouth again.

"Give me your hands." Kaidan said, motioning for her to rest them on the table. She did and he began to slowly unwrap the blood soaked tape. It was painful and she hissed more than once but she was mesmerized by his slow, meticulous motions. His eyes narrowed and lips pursed. It was all Ashley could do to not sweep away the short distance between them and ravage him on the floor. Her nipples practically throbbed and the fire had turned into a full on inferno.

Her gaze was heated and desperate the entire time as he cleaned her hands and wrapped them in antiseptic medigel. She almost asked him to kiss them better. He finished his work way too quickly. She had been playing with his body in her mind and she wasn't even close to be ready to be done with him. But he began to pack up the kit.

"That should do it." He said and smiled softly at her. It made her heart flutter. "We should both get some sleep. Heard there's another survey mission in a few days." His gazed travel the length of her jaw, down her neck and to her swelling breasts, glistening in the pale light with sweat. Kaidan gulped hard and quickly look away, but Ashley had caught his gaze. She smirked but all too quickly he stood up.

"Good night, Chief." He said professionally.

_No!_

"Hey LT" Her hand shot out to stop him. Kaidan looked down at where her hand gripped hers with almost painful desperation. She relented instantly, cheeks flaring, "….can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?" His voice was hesitant.

"The bag is a good partner and all, but it's not exactly good at sparing." She smirked, shoving the bag aside to emphasize her point. Kaidan laughed and rubbed his jaw. Ash's hand twitched as she imagined running her hand up that sandpaper smooth jawline.

_So masculine. _

"…you want to fight?"

"Spar." Ash corrected and backed away from him. She raised her fists, palms open and lowered her stance, "Come on, Alenko. You spar with the other marines during PT all the time." He hesitated so she continued "I even saw that wrestling match between you and Vakarian. Did the Alliance proud by putting his Turian ass on the floor."

"Shepard brained me for breaking one of his talons." Kaidan sighed and looked around, as if to make sure they were alone. "Bastard couldn't hold a sniper-rifle for weeks."

"Come on LT. I promise I won't tell the unit how bad I kick your ass." She teased, rolling her shoulders and flexing her fingers. They still hurt but the endorphins and adrenaline surging through her veins made it easy to ignore "I'll even go open palm to give you a chance."

"You sound pretty sure of yourself there, Gunnery-Chief." Kaidan's eyes narrowed, lips pursed again.

_Oh God bring those lips over here, man-meat!_

"In a fair fight? No biotics…I think I have this in the bag." She bounced on her toes as Kaidan continued to pace back and forth, as if debating whether he should high-tail it out or not. "Come on. Show me whatcha' got."

"Sorry, my mom taught me to never hit fragile little girls." Oohh that made her blood boil. What's more the smirk on his face told her he _knew_ it burned. No one called a Williams woman small and fragile. This had gone from playful to personal. Now she was going to assert her dominance over him; take what she wanted. She would show him who was fragile.

"She also teach you never to be a pussy, Mr. Pussy?"

He was fast. He was very fast. One moment Ashley was smirking smugly at him and the other she was staring up at the ceiling with the wind knocked from her chest and a throbbing bruise on her solar plexus.

"1-0, chief." Kaidan said proudly. She realized she had been played for a fool. What she had thought was hesitancy was really stalling to studying her combat efficacy. She had been taunting and teasing; he had been strategizing. He offered her a hand up but she leapt back, rising on muscled calves.

"First to two. No strikes above the neck." Ash hissed through clenched teeth. The blood surged in her ears and she didn't hear his response. Instead she came at him, sweeping in low to use her smaller frame to her advantage.

He blocked her open strike with his elbow and powered his shoulder into her, staggering her back. Ash recovered quickly and replied with a series of blindingly fast punches and knees. Kaidan managed to block all of them but he was pushed back. He jabbed at a sudden gap in her attacks but she managed to catch his wrist and yank him forward. Kaidan was pulled off his balance. She used that moment to hammer a palm strike to his chest. Even as he fell back Ash's fingers curled, gripping his tight white shirt.

The timing was perfect and a large section of the fabric tore free as he staggered backward.

"Evens. One a piece." Ashley threw the white strip aside as Kaidan got back to his feet. They both looked down at the rent in his shirt. Without ceremony he gripped a ragged edge and pulled, ripping the entire thing from his body.

Ash's eye widened in the dim light of the cargo bay. Taught, rippling muscles greeted her and her mouth went dry. The burning in her legs caused her to squeeze them together, if only to fake some sort of contact.

Things were getting heated and heavy between them. The lingering question of whether Alenko had been feeling the weeks of tension on the ship were suddenly answers. He came at her not like a friend and comrade she would fight alongside, but like a caged animal that had slipped his leash. His strikes were blindingly fast, each one perfect and damn near impossible to block, let alone dodge. But still Ashley kept up with.

_Counter._

_Sidestep. _

_Strike. _

Their bodies were drenched in sweat and every time they stuck and blocked their sweat would mingle. The haze in the air was beginning to affect both of them. Ashley was finding her body was moving without any thought, countering and striking before she even consciously realized he was attacking. His body glistened in the dull light and she was mesmerized by it.

After a while they had given up all pretense of trying to win the bout. Ashley realized, for lack of a better term, they were dancing. Their strikes and counters were so perfectly timed; such was the synchronization between them. They danced to a beat of their hearts and the roar of their blood.

Looking back on that night, Ashley would never be able to say when the spar changed into something more. In truth the moment was so quick, so perfectly timed and animalistic it felt inevitable. Kaidan shoulder charged her, using his heavier body to send Ashley sprawling. She reacted quickly, rolling with the momentum and rising to her feet in an instant. She lashed out, raising her knee to drive it into his gut. Her timing was perfect and she knew this would knock him over, but somehow quick as she was, he was quicker.

Kaidan sidestepped her leg and wrapped his arm around it, pinning the limb to his side and ruining Ashley's balance. She tipped and threw out her arms to catch herself; they ended up firmly planted on Kaidan's bare chest. He pulled her leg tighter and their hips touched. Ashley felt her inner thigh rub up against a bulge in his shorts and all cognitive process was lost. Her hands shot up to wrap around his head. One ran over his sweat laced hair while the other gripped the back of his neck and wrenched his lips to hers.

There were no words to describe what she felt when their lips met for the first time. It was as if all the tension, frustration and desire that had built up over the weeks locked in the Normandy cascassed into one thought and drove through her mind. She bit and pulled and tugged on his lips. Her spare hand scratched painfully at his scalp, earning a bestial growl from him. Kaidan dropped her leg but she kept it wrapped tightly around his him. Instead he pressed tightly into the skin of her back and she relished his warm skin on her bare flesh.

One hand scratched red marks into her skin with his fingernails, causing her to shutter. The other gripped one of the straps of her bra and wrenched it down. Her left breast popped out of the sweat-soaked cup and she gasped at the sudden feeling, but he didn't let up. His hand kneaded painful into her breast as he bit all along her jaw.

"Mmmm…fuck…" Ash moaned as his fingers flicked and pinched her nipple. She was soaking wet in her pants and needed release soon. Ashley jumped, wrapping both her legs around his hips and one of his hands traveled to her ass to support her. The other continued to play with her nipple. They fell back, luckily falling into the work table. The sound of parts shaking echoed in the cargo bay but there was no one but them.

Ashley's tongue fought for dominance over his. She licked across his teeth and up one cheek and down the other. She needed to taste every inch of his body for this to be worth it. She ground her hips into his, moaning in pleasure. Kaidan spun them and force Ashley up against the wall, effectively pinning her under his weight. She ground her legs together in anticipation. Kaidan tore the rest of the bra off and instantly his mouth traveled to her nipple. Ashley squirmed under his touch and ground against him.

"Oh Christ…" She mewled. It was an incredibly un-Williams thing to say but his tongue was making it hard to think. Kaidan turned his attention to the other nipple. Ashley made to draw his face up to kiss those burning lips again, but he lashed out. One hand enveloped both her wrists, pinning her arms above her head. She was locked - trapped completely. Helpless. She bit her lips at him and ground her legs together.

"Ok big boy." She whispered, every word hot and heavy, "You've got me. Now what do you plan to do to me?"

Kaidan grinned, and leaned forward, lips hovering just out of her reach. She tried to kiss him but he pulled away, teasing her, "Whatever I want."

_Oh God yes!_

There was such passion and raw lust in his eyes. His grip on her wrists tightened as he placed a finger of his spar hand at her collar bone. He traced an invisible line along her chest, across her neck and down the middle, purposefully leaving her breasts alone. Ashley squirmed; she didn't have time for these games, maddeningly amazing as they were.

His hand traveled slowly down her abs to the lip of her, by now, soaking pants. He grinned and Ashley grinned back. His hand ducked under the elastic waste. When he came into contact with her sorely neglected lower lips Ashley threw back her head, shuttering uncontrollable. Kaidan leaned closer and licked all along her neck as he pushed a finger inside her.

Ash's head thrashed from side to side. It was incredible. He was so warm and she was tight. Kaidan pushed another finger in and she started to pant. He set a hard pace, his fingers plunging in and out of her over and over again. Ash's head fell to one side, eyes open and staring intently at him. Their eyes locked as her mouth moved wordless like a beached fish. He added a third finger and pressed his thumb against her clitoris. Ashley shuddered but refused to take her eyes off him. She was gasping for breath. She tried to move her arms, to touch his body and grab his throbbing member but his grip never relented. He was going to play her body and she could only stand there and enjoy it.

"Oh God! Oh God oh God oh God oh God!" She repeated the words like a mantra until they had lost all meaning and she was just mumbling incoherently. Kaidan smirked against her neck, trailing painfully wet kissed along her collarbone and leaving glaring red splotches wherever his lips touched. He had enough foresight to not place any above the collar line of a uniform shirt, but still his lips took a huge toll on Ashley's neck as she squirmed under him. His fingers had ceased their pounding, instead he had started to slowly curl his fingers inside her while his thumb pressed tightly against her clitoris and moved in a circular motion over the nub. His movements were controlled, precise and careful to elicit the maximum amount of pleasure. His other hand kneaded painful into her breast, pinching and flicking her nipple. Ashley's legs twitched and she moaned.

Ashley's mouth moved on its own accord, humming and gasping and moaning and drooling in equal measure as Kaidan played her body like an instrument. His fingers curled so perfect inside her and every time she thought she was about to cum, her walls would clench only for his fingers to withdraw to begin the curling motion again. He was driving her insane and they both knew it.

"Oh fuck!" Ashley moaned. Kaidan twisted her nipple and she gasped, feeling another twitch in her lower lips at the sudden amazing pain, "I need to cum! I need to cum!"

"Ask me." Kaidan whispered in her ear, "Beg for it Ashley."

"Please! Please let me cum!" She breathed. His thumb pressed harder against her clitoris, rubbing harder and harder. Ashley could feel the buildup in her, the heat and pressure and insatiable want.

"Use my name." He bit her ear and tugged. Ashley was beside herself, gasping for breath and failing miserably. The pleasure of his movements was beyond comprehension.

"Kaidan!" She moaned and both tried to ignore how amazing and perfect his name sounded on her lips "Oh God! Kaidan! Kaidan! Oh fuck Kaidan let me cum! Please! KAAAIDAAANNN!"

In that moment he triggered his biotics.

A shock on energy shot up through her, starting at the base of her spine and spiraling, inching and spreading throughout her entire body, through the tips of her fingers, up her shoulders, down to her toes and up her neck and ending at her brain. Every inch of her body was alight with humming static energy, like she had stuck a finger in a live electrical socket – only a million times more intense and amazing. Kaidan's thumb hummed with biotic power as it pressed and held firmly on her clit; his fingers shot up straight into her, curling over and over and over and over. Ash's toes curled, fingers clenched. 'Incredible' failed to capture what she felt; it was mind numbing.

Ash's mouth hung open, but no sound issued. Her eyes widened as an orgasm more intense and powerful than all others in her life combined exploded within her. It was like wave after wave after powerful wave of electricity crashing against her body, filling her, merging with her and completing her. Her inner walls clenched – for all the good it did against bioticly charged fingers. Kaidan funneled more biotic energy into her; it was barely enough energy to register on a biotic scanner, but coming from inside her it was intense. Her eyes widened in shock and amazement, gazing at the far wall but seeing nothing. Then he bit her neck. Hard. And her eyes crossed, drool escaping her mouth as her brain shut down.

The pleasure was too much for her. The months of denial and loneliness ending in this seemingly endless orgasm; it overpowered her. Ashley tried to fight against the darkness enclosing her, but all rational thought had long since left.

It was hopeless to fight it because it was incredible.

The last thing she was aware of before she passed out was falling into strong arms as another orgasm rocked her body and she twitched uncontrollably on Kaidan's magic fingers.

Then there was darkness.

0000000

Ashley's eyes shot open suddenly and she gasped in a cold breath. She looked around and her sleep locked-mind recognized her bunk in the woman's dorm. Someone had brought her back up to the dorms and put her on her bunk. The last thing she remembered was a mind shattering orgasm and falling into Kaidan's arms.

_Kaidan!_

_Oh shit! _

_OH FUCK! _

Did that really just happen? Did her Lieutenant just finger-fuck her so hard she passed out from pleasure? He must have because she felt incredible! She let out a long sigh and blinked. The tension in her body was gone. The fire had been quenched – for now. She felt relaxed and happy. Her mood was already ten times more relaxed and focused. She had needed that more than she realized.

She smirked. Poor Kaidan. She had passed out before she could administer to his needs. She would need to rectify that oversight. Ashley stretched and stood up; already some of the other women were up and getting ready for their shifts. Ashley scratched the back of her head and looked down. She was still in shorts and her sports bra, but Kaidan had put her in one of his spar white undershirts. Ashley smelled the fabric. It smelled of military stock soap, coffee and sweat. It smelled like him and she felt her mind going hazy.

_Oh I need more of him. _

"Well well well…" Monica smirked, "You're looking chipper this morning. Guess that late night boxing thing does work. I might have to try it." She paused and Ashley smiled dumbly. Her lower lips still ached in the most amazing way.

_Oh yes, I'm going to need way more of him. _

"You work out some of that stress?"

"Mon, you could say it was like magic last night."

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So what do you think? Yay or Nay?

Drop me a review and let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two days since the night in the cargo bay and whether through intent or chance, Ashley had yet to have even five minutes alone with Lieutenant Alenko since. She needed to talk to him about what had happened – had he just slipped up and wanted to ignore it or was he interested in seeing one another on a regular basis. Was he ashamed of himself or her? Did he regret it? And how had he gone two whole days with blue-balls?! Ashley wasn't a vain person, but she knew men; given a choice of solo-work or sex with her, she was confident which Kaidan would choose.

Ash knew for her part her mood and stress had leveled off since that night. The tension in her stride and body was gone and for lack of a better term she was feeling healthy. The constant dull headache behind her eyes was gone and the kink in her back and hips was gone too. A switch had flipped on inside her and every day she wanted more and more of Alenko. She was determined not to go back to her normal scowling, angry self or go a further fourteen months without being meaningfully touched by another human.

And she needed to feel those biotic hands again!

Ashley stared straight ahead, eyes locked onto the back of Kaidan's helm. She wondered if he knew she was watching. Briefly she toyed with the idea of using the Mako's systems to open a private channel to him. But the risk of detection and their present company would make that incredibly stupid. Garrus Vakarian was at the Mako's sensor controls, scanning the immediate area. Commander Shepard was where she always was – in the driver's seat, hooting and howling with joy at each dune she purposefully drove the Mako over.

It had taken some getting used to Shepard's style of driving, if that world could even be applied. It was more accurate to say Shepard simply crashed the tank into things and it was only blind luck or a miracle from God she got shit done in-between impacts.

The Mako cleared another hill and Shepard keyed in the boosters. She yelled with joy as they cleared a dried-up riverbed and the Mako landed hard on the opposite shore.

"Could you possibly drive any worse, skipper?" Ash called out with the vertigo in her stomach subsided.

"Like to see you do better, Chief." Shepard responded, casting an amused glance back at her.

"Let me at it, ma'am." Ashley challenged, "I'm pretty good with my hands." She earned a chortle from Garrus. Kaidan on the other hand was completely still, eyes locked on the readings ahead of him. Ashley bristled; this was going to take some work.

_Beep _

_Beep _

_Beep_

"Hey Shepard." Garrus suddenly called out.

"Got something?" She responded. Ashley went back to hard-nail marine instantly and her fingers danced across her console, turrets tracking back and forth searing for threats.

"Maybe." Garrus's face was buried in his console, "Thought I saw something. Maybe just a sensor ghost or a dense rock deposits."

"Where did you see it?" Shepard keyed in a series of buttons and a map of the area popped up on an all their consoles. A section of grid flashed yellow as Garrus touched his display screen.

"Here."

"That's about three clicks north-west, Commander." Kaidan responded. Ashley saw her chance and took it.

"Think we'll find anything out there, LT?" She asked. There was a long, heavy silence. Kaidan didn't look back at her and his body had gone stiff.

"I think we should check it out, Shepard." Kaidan mumbled. Ashley felt anger surge in her chest. No one ignored a Williams!

_Ooohhh when we get back to the Normandy, you're going to get it Kaidan._

"Agreed." Shepard nodded and activated her radio, +Normandy, this is Shepard. Slight change of plans. We're diverting from the trail to check out a sensor blip at grid point G6-E5. Setting it as Nav Point 1+

+Understood Commander+ Joker responded, +Good hunting.+

The Mako ground across the bland stretching desert for close to ten minutes, with the air inside growing tenser by the second. Ashley had checked, rechecked and checked again the turret ammo loads and panned them back and forth, sweeping the horizon for silhouettes or the first signs of an ambush. Despite herself, despite her iron-will and years of training, Ashley found her gaze occasionally flickered over to Kaidan. Absently she wondered what he was thinking. Was he thinking about her?

_KRAKOW!_

Ash was rocked from her thoughts as the Mako slewed to the left, the force of a tremendous impact rocking it off course. Red warning lights flashed in the interior and Ashley's eyes darted across her screens, searching for targets.

_Fuck fuck fuck! _

"Fuck!" Shepard swore as bullets plinked off the hull, "Garrus! Report!"

"Came out of nowhere." Garrus responded, "Geth Drones!"

"Bastards must have some sort of cloaking field or scanner dampener." Kaidan said as she hammered in commands to his console.

"Well let's see if they have shields that can stop a cannon shell." Shepard growled, "Chief! Light them up!"

"I can't see them!" Ashley responded. The Mako shook again and she heard the distinct sound of metal panels shearing off. "Skipper, my cameras are statically as hell! It's the dust from the desert floor! Its obscuring everything!"

"Track electro-magnetic fields, Williams." Kaidan ordered, "Geth anti-gravity lifts will be easy to spot."

"On it." Ash hated that it took a God damned Geth ambush to get him to talk to her. But she pushed those thoughts aside and switched camera fields. Instantly her screen went from the grainy real world to electric blue. A dozen targets appeared in flashes of red and orange. Ashley grinned and gripped the assault cannon joystick tightly.

"Targets acquired. Engaging."

The Mako's cannons roared to life, mass reactive high velocity shells hammering into a handful of Geth drones. Their shields sputtered and flashed, lasting for only a heartbeat before bursting out in a wave of energy like a popped bubble. Then the Geth drones disappeared in a storm of fire; bits and scrap rained down for meters around.

"I'm coming around again." Shepard barked as she gunned the Mako's engine, "Chief, if the bunch up hit them with the accelerator cannon."

_Dook! Dook Dook Dook! _

Heavy impacts hammered against the kinetic barriers. Kaidan cursed.

"Shields at 15% percent, ma'am." He growled and Ashley pretended the anger in his voice wasn't dead sexy. She didn't believe herself. The assault cannon triggered again and two more Geth drones disappeared in a mist of electronics and powdered metal. But there were still over a dozen more circling.

"Skipper, they're too dispersed!" Ashley swore as the ground next to the tank exploded with a barely dodged missile.

"Suggestions?"

"Call in the Normandy." Garrus responded.

"It'll take them too long to reach us." Ashley responded, "We have 60 seconds tops before one of those rockets takes us in a weak point and we fry."

"Got a better plan?" Garrus growled.

"Yeah," Ash pulled up a satmap of the area, "Shepard, here. The sand dunes form a natural ridge. Get us over the edge and we can use the big guns when they give chase."

"We'll be exposed out there." Garrus said, "Sitting birds or whatever the phrase is."

"I agree with Chief Williams." Kaidan put in and actually turned around to nod at her. Ash told herself the flutter in her chest was simply the result of combat adrenaline, nothing more.

"We're going for it!" Shepard slammed the accelerator just as a rocket impacted less than a meter from them. The shields burst out in a fwoomp of displayed air. The radar consoles exploded and Garrus roared in pain as he was thrown from his seat.

"Garrus!"

"I'm fine." He staggered for a moment, clutching his arm, "Shrapnel in the arm."

"Kaidan, stop the bleeding." Shepard ordered and the lieutenant unbuckled himself and hesitantly went to get the injured officer. The Mako rocked and Kaidan stumbled, landing hard right on top of Ashley. They both grunted and their eyes met from behind glass visors. Ashley was sure his cheeks were flushed, but if that was combat or their proximity she couldn't tell. Then like a flash he was gone, helping Garrus to his feet.

The Mako cleared the sound dune and slammed hard into the ground behind it. warning lights flashed on all the remaining display screens and smoke began to fill the compartment.

"Axle is shattered!" Shepard yelled and surged to her feet, "We're dead in the water." She retrieved her shotgun and sniper rifle and made for the emergency exit.

"Hold tight, Skipper." Ash said, eyes focused on the screens. Her vision was myopic and she held her breath as sweat dripped from her forehead. Her radar told her the Geth were swarming.

_There!_

They came over the dune in a wave of black specs, like sickening insects. Ash triggered the accelerator cannon and the massive turret vomited a massive explosive shell. The timing was perfect; her aim was perfect. The shell detonated against the lead Geth drone and the wave of explosive energy engulfed the others. The vid-screen flashed as the light of the explosion temporarily blinded them, forcing a hard reset.

Several tense seconds elapsed but the explosive end of a Geth rocket never came. The screens flickered back to life and Ashley and Shepard peered through them, seeing only settling smoke and debris.

"Ash?"

"Screens clear, ma'am." She looked up at her commanding officer, a grin splitting her face, "Got the fuckers!"

Shepard clapped Ash on the shoulder and smiled, "Hell of a eye you got there, Williams. Excellent work."

Ash glanced over at Kaidan as he helped the injured Garrus to his feet. This time when their eyes locked she saw the unmistakable look of approval in his eyes. Ashley smiled and she imagined he smiled back.

+Normandy, this is Shepard. We're going to need a pickup.+ Shepard paused and looked back at the crew, +And let Tali know we may have broken the Mako+

0000000

After their debriefing, in which Adams had bemoaned that the Mako wouldn't be fixed for weeks, and Tali practically bounced in her chair as she volunteered to be part of the repair team, Shepard had pulled the ground team aside.

"Look…things are getting dicey." She whispered softly to Ashley, Kaidan, Garrus, Wrex, Liara and Tali, who was still bouncing on her feet at the prospect of disassembling the Mako. "We don't have the resources to fix the Mako fully and the crew is about ready to crack."

"The crew is rather grim." Liara commented.

"I'm ordering us to the Citadel." Shepard said, earning sighs of reliefs from all present, "Mandatory 36 hours of shore leave, by section." She directly this last comment at Staff-Lieutenant Alenko who nodded. His lips pursed and Ashley felt her body heat up.

"What about the Mako?" Ash asked, "That's not enough time."

"It is if we get some work done on it in the meantime." Tali responded, "Though I think Engineer Adams would like to run some tests if we're going to be docking with the Alliance at the Citadel."

"Check with him." Shepard nodded at the Quarian, "The rest of you get your stations sorted before we reach the Citadel."

"Aye-Aye!"

They filed out but Kaidan made a bee-line for the men's dorms before Ash had a chance to stop him. She groaned as he disappeared, but rationalized he was likely getting a shower. She decided on the same and spent the next twenty minutes trying to work the kink in between her legs with her more personal items.

She found the mess hall half full with muffled conversations and hopeful looking crew members. The news of shore leave must have been broadcast out on the PA while she was showering. Ash saw Garrus sitting by himself and despite herself she got a cup of coffee and joined him.

"Hey Garrus." Ash said conversationally as she sat down across from him in the mess. There had always been a level of animosity between the two. Ashley still didn't trust the Turians and for his part Garrus had a stick worked too far up his ass to care.

"Chief Williams." He responded. He struggled briefly with a knife as he cut up a warmed dextro-amino ration. At first glance it looked like the Turian equivalent of steak and potatoes. Garrus struggled for a moment – his right arm slung in an electrically charged sling. The device bleeped and blurted at random intervals; green, red and blue lights flashed and blinked along its length. It was an intravenous medigel splint. Garrus set the knife down and picked up a fork.

"Need me to hand feed you? Or call your mother?" Ash teased. She smirked at the narrowing of his eyes as he ate.

"No, but your concern for my Turian hide is noted." He fixed her with an amused glare, "You do the Alliance proud. By the way, good work with that ambush."

"Well the Alliance trains us Marines tough."

"I just feel like a fool for leading us directly into their guns." Garrus looked down at his meal and felt his appetite flicker, "Never should have happened."

"The Geth are tricky fuckers." Ash growled, her hatred for the synthetics rising to the fore, "Killed my entire unit. We never saw them coming. Fucking AIs."

"Yeah…" Garrus sighed, "Wish the Mako had more advanced sensors. Turian Predators-2s don't get ambushed so easily."

She narrowed her eyes at that but let it slide. Instead she chose to let the topic drop, "How are things down in the cargo bay? Wrex put any fresh dents in the walls?"

"It's actually pretty quiet." Garrus hummed, "Shepard had to go back to the surface to check out those last few grid points we missed."

"But the Mako is all fucked up." Ash commented, "The axis was shot. The shield generators are burned out. You guys couldn't have fixed it so quickly."

"She took the shuttle." Garrus sipped from his glass and sighed, "I'd be down in the cargo bay right now fixing the Mako but…" He motioned to his broken arm, "I'd just be in the way."

"Adams and his guys working on it?" Ash questioned.

"No. Tali said all of engineering were cycling out kinetic barriers." Garrus responded. Ashley narrowed her eyes in thought, "Something about needing the runtimes for Alliance R&D."

"Then who's working on the Mako?"

"Lieutenant Alenko is doing maintenance right now." Garrus said without looking up from his meal. Ashley's heart started to beat faster, "I was helping him but I kept dropping my tools. Got frustrated. So now I'm here to calm down and get a bite to eat. I'll head back down in an hour or so."

"So who else is working down there?" Ash tried to sound casual, but the look in her eyes was burning. Garrus either ignored her look or didn't know enough about humans to see it; either way she was thankful.

"Just Alenko." Garrus thought for a moment, "I would go keep him company but he's been fairly distant since we returned from the surface."

"I hadn't noticed." Ash fought her smile. Looks like Kaidan was more human than he let on. Ash gulped the last of her coffee, "Well I should get back to the armory. Need to make sure we have enough guns to stop Saren."

"Can't have too many guns." Garrus gave his equivalent of a smile, "Good speaking to you Chief Williams."

She nodded in response and practically jogged the way to the elevator. Her heart hammered in her chest . the elevator ride down the cargo bay was longer and more painful than ever before. Ashley's mind racked with thought and ideas, words and phrases. What would she say to him?

_Hey LT, wanna fuck? _

No, too up-front. What if he didn't? What if that night was a onetime thing?

_I think we should talk?_

A Williams was many things, but a talker wasn't one of them. She was a woman of action.

_Give me odorous at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturbed._

Sure! If she wanted to marry the guy or make his head hurt! There was a time and place for Walt Whitman, and asking a hot dude if he wanted some was not it.

She was still wracking her mind when the elevator finally came to a stop and the door opened on smooth hydraulics. The lights in the hangar were dark, as always. She stepped out hesitantly, looking around. It wouldn't matter if there was someone else in the bay. Thankfully even that slimy reacquisition officer was on break.

In the far corner the Mako sat parked on a maintenance hydraulic lift. The armored wheels of the tank rested on two parallel strips which had been raised a few feet to allow repair crews to access the tank's underbelly. As she approached slowly she saw Lieutenant Alenko's legs protruding out from under a section just by the right rear tire section. From the sounds of it and the burning white light coming from there she guessed he was hard at work with a welding torch. His legs were bent at the knee and Ash bit her lip as her gaze traveled up his legs to his thighs.

"That you Garrus?" Alenko's voice was strained and Ash had a pretty good idea as to why, "Can you hand me a screwdriver." ?

_Oh I can give you a screw._

An idea entered Ash's mind and her body acted instantly. She activated her omnitool as she crept slowly over to him. The hydraulic lift activated and slowly began to lower.

"WHOA!" Kaidan called out, "What the fuck?! I'm down here!"

Ash stopped the lift after a few heartbeats. Kaidan struggled but his arms and torso were trapped. He was trapped. There was no pressure on him; the Mako would crush him in a heartbeat were that the case. But there was no room to pull his arms out from deep inside the Mako's inner workings. No room to pull himself out.

_How's that feel, LT? _

Ash smirked and stood over him, one foot on each side of his hips.

"Who the fuck is there?!" He called out, "I order you to raise this platform!" Ash smiled and sat down heavily on his hips. Kaidan grunted and she could see him struggling in vain to lift the Mako off of him.

"Comfortable down there, LT?" Ash asked sweetly. He stopped instantly.

"Ashley?" His voice was soft, laced with concern and trepidation.

"I thought it was time you and I had a heart to heart." Ash ran a finger up and down what parts of his torso were not covered. She saw his body flinch at her touch and she licked her lips.

"This is about the other night?" Kaidan ventured.

"It's not polite to not call a girl after." Ash said, "Didn't your parents teach you that?"

"Ash listen…about…the other night." Kaidan was still struggling but his mind was focused on the woman straddling him.

"You know it's funny. "Ash commented absently. Her fingers found the buckle of his belt and swiftly undid it, "I was worried for days what I would say to you. How to approach this issue."

"What issue?" Kaidan's voice was soft. Ash ripped the belt from its loops.

"That I wanted more." Ash said seductively, "I didn't know how to say that. But at this point, I think actions speak louder than words, don't you?"

Her fingers worked the button and zipper of his pants in record time.

"Hey! Ashley! What are you doing?" Kaidan gasped as she wrenched the pants off his hips. Ash smiled at the growing bulge in his box-briefs.

_Oh that looks like it'll do just fine. _

"Sorry about last time." Ash reached down into his boxers and gripped his growing member, "But those magic fingers of yours worked me over so hard. I passed out before I got to return the favor." She pulled his manhood out and took a long moment to admire it. She could hear Kaidan's intake of breath.

"Ash…" He breathed and she smiled as she ran a hand up and down. She got off of him and lay down next to his prone body. She breathed a hot breath over his manhood and he shuddered and twitched.

"How long has it been, sir?" She teased; "How long since this trooper was called into action?" there was a long pause as she stroked her hand up and down.

"Twenty-five months."

She paused momentarily. That actually hurt. A guy as hot as Kaidan going _that_ long without someone? It seemed criminal and part of Ashley just wanted to hold him and tell him everything was okay. But that part paled in comparison to the part of her that wanted to get him off.

"Way too long, Kaidan." She said and leaned forward to kiss his tip, "Can't believe you were hiding this thing from me."

"Ash…I'm…I'm your CO…"

"Don't go quoting regulations on me, Kaidan." Ash smirked, "If you do I'll stop this-" She ran her tongue up his member and across his head. He moaned and twitched in her hands, "And we don't want that, do we?"

"N-n-no." He stammered.

"Tell you what; we keep this little…fling…a secret between us. No one else knows or joins in." She leaned forward and wrapped her teeth around him. She bit and he cried out, "Just you and me. Exclusive fucking. Agree to that and this guy can see regular action."

His response was a groan of pleasure. Ash smirked and took him in her mouth; it was effort. Monica had been right, he was long and thick. Ash managed for a few seconds before she had to gasp out. She could see Kaidan's chest rising and falling rapidly.

"You like that Kaidan?" She smiled and licked him again.

"Fuck…" He managed. Ash could feel her arousal in her pants and decided she needed his cock immediately. She took one last hard suck and lick of him, relishing the groans and moans of pleasure. It must have been torture, having his body at the mercy of someone else while essentially trapped under the Mako. Ash grinned and stood up abruptly, leaving his member cold and alone in the air. He moaned and she felt a pang of sympathy; he must be thinking she was going to leave him like this.

Ash quickly undid her belt and shimmied out of her fatigues and let her black compression shorts drop to the deck. She went to her knees, legs on either side of Kaidan. She ran her fingers up and down her inner lips; she was ready for him.

"Hold on to something, Kaidan." Ash smirked and slowly lowered herself onto him, "You're going for a ride."

Ash struggled at first. Despite the fingering a few nights ago, she hadn't taken anything even approaching Kaidan's girth in over a year. There was pain but Ashley was a Williams and a Marine. She endured and eventually she sheathed Kaidan fully inside her. She let out a moan of pleasure and a hand went to her breasts, kneading them through her shirt.

"Oh baby…" Ashley moaned and ground around on him. Kaidan grunted underneath her as she moved.

_Welcome to your new home…_

"Ash…" He breathed, "You're so tight."

"Don't I know it?" She teased and squeezed him, "your fault for being so big, Kaidan." She set a good pace, bouncing on him and grinding against him in equal measure. She could feel his girth stretching her out just as his length penetrated deep inside her. He was easily the biggest man she had ever been with. She ground against him, hands resting on his lower chest as she did. She had to go faster and hard.

Always faster, always harder.

Her breath was coming in pants and she could feel an orgasm building inside her. She had the sudden urge to kiss him. Ash triggered her omnitool and the hydraulic lift slowly let up. Kaidan surged out from under the Mako, arms reaching out for her head just as her hands grasped for his. Their lips met in a near painful smack of faces. He forced his tongue inside her mouth, running over the roof of her mouth and along her tongue. Kaidan hooked a leg over Ash's and threw his weight to one side, flipping them both over.

Ash gasped as he slammed her hard to the ground and lunged deeper inside her; deeper than anyone had ever been. One of his hands reached under her shirt and kneaded painfully against her breast as he held her head steady with the other hand. Ash gasped against his lips as he pounded into her hard. His pace was brutal and she loved it. He had gone over two years without a release and she was glad he was with her. Something in her heart fluttered and swooping feeling, like zero-g, filled her stomach but she told herself it was just the sex – nothing more.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream and he kissed all along her jaw as he pounded her.

"Fuck Ash!" He gritted his teeth and bit her neck. Ash ran her hands through his hair.

"Come on baby." She cooed to him, "Come on! Give it to me!"

He did. He pounded into her again and again. Ashley bit his neck to keep from crying out. It was the perfect mixture of pleasure and pain. Ash rocked her head back as another orgasm shook her. Her walls clenched and she could feel Kaidan's dick twitching inside her.

"Ash! I'm…I'm going..." She stopped him with a kiss, gripping his head with her hands and wrapping her legs tightly around his hips.

Kaidan plunged into her rapidly, as if the world would end if he didn't reach completion. His lips burned against Ashley's and his grip on her head tighten.

She felt him explode inside her. Warm liquid filled her and she moaned. It was incredible. He thrust into her one last time and Ash felt her mind go hazy. Her body reacted animalisticly and she wrapped her arms around him, pinning him close and ensuring she got every drop.

She felt powerful.

She felt receptive.

For the first time in months, she felt like a woman again.

_Oh Kaidan!_

She kissed him furiously even after he stopped filling her and stilled. They lay locked like that for a long time, basking in the glow of their passionate fucking. Their lips played across one another and Ash groaned as his tongue went up and down her collar bone, savoring her taste.

"Mmmm…" Ash moaned, "I needed that."

"I…" Kaidan looked away and blushed, "I think I did too."

"You think?" She teased in mock outrage.

"Okay I did." Kaidan smirked and made to pull away. Ash squeezed her legs tighter.

"Where do you think you're going?" She grinned sensually and ran a finger along his jawline. He gulped.

"To get our clothes." He managed, "We need to get back to work"

Ash smirked and looked at her omni-tool.

"Shepard won't be back for at least another hour…" She leaned forward, lips hovering just above his, "and I'm going to need another fix to last me until we get to the Citadel."

"But…"

"No buts, Kaidan." Ash said, face seriously for one painful moment, "No questions, no regrets, no commitment. Just you and me and a little fun."

A look of bewilderment passed over his face for just a moment, but it was replaced with an animalistic hunger and a predatory grin.

"Well…" He grabbed her breast and pinched her nipple hard. Ashley gasped and her head fell back, "In that case, I'll have a little more fun then."


	3. Chapter 3

"Mmmmm…" Ashley moaned as she rested her head on the cushion, "I needed this so bad." She felt the stress bleeding from her body. She felt more relaxed in this moment then any time in the last few months. Serving aboard the Normandy was a once in a lifetime honor, but the Alliance didn't care about cramped spaces or featureless depressing walls and bulkheads.

"I'll say." Kaidan smirked at her, "I can't imagine being anywhere else right now."

"Nothing relaxes the body like a stiff one." Ash felt her cheeks coloring at the loaded look Kaidan gave her, "Don't look at me like that – a girl has needs." She looked over at the woman next to her, "Right Shepard?"

"Damn straight we do." Shepard replied look at her two friends with heavy eyes. Their commander sipped from a glass of swirling violet liquid. Ashley finished off her own glass as their Asari waitress came back.

"Get you another round, ma'am?" She asked, leaning forward to give them all a good look at her bust. Ashley felt a slight bang of jealous as Kaidan's eyes flickered ever so slightly from the Asari's face. How the hell did those aliens walk around in high heels with a waist that small and flopping tits that big?! It didn't seem structurally possible, but if Shepard's heated gaze and Kaidan's sudden lock-jawed look were anything to go by she was the only one who cared.

"Sure." Shepard eyed the Asari, earning a wink from the blue-skinned woman.

"I'll get this one, Shepard." Kaidan said as he produced a credit chit.

"Can't let you do that, LT." Shepard said casually, "I'm the senior officer. Someone might mistake that as a bribe."

"With all due respect ma'am, no uniform." Ashley pointed to Shepard's blue jeans and black N7 hoodie, "So no dice. Let the man buy us ladies a drink." Shepard relented, huffing slightly but too drunk to argue with another drink.

"You're bad for me, Ashley." Shepard as the Asari took Kaidan's chit and went off. Shepard followed her hips as she went.

"You're bad for me too." Kaidan whispered in Ashley's ear as their commander was distracted. His fingers danced across her pants and up to her hip, exposed by her slightly smaller than appropriate shirt. His warm fingers brushed against her bare skin and Ashley had to take in a deep shuttering breath. Her body was already aching for him again and he knew how much it tortured her not to be able to act on those desires. Ash gave him a heated look and licked her lips seductively. Were their commanding officer not there, they might have started making out in the middle of Flux.

Not two hours on the Citadel and Shepard had messaged the ground team that she would be at Flux getting a much needed drink. Ash had all but dragged Kaidan away from processing requisition reports to join her. The others were either taking care of personal matters, or would meet up later. Tali had messaged not long ago she would be arriving soon, having finished a vid call to her aunt back in the Migrant Fleet.

Ashley was looking forward to buying the girl a drink and seeing if it was true those suits kept Quarians from getting drunk. Though Shepard seemed to have no such restraint and was already pretty wasted. Ashley got the distinct impression she was waiting for that tease Liara to show up, but so far there was no sign of their blue Doctor.

The Asari came back with their drinks and a handwritten note Shepard read quickly and stuffed into a pant pocket. Ashley guessed it was either a room number or an omnitool number. Trampy Asari; always trying to fuck everything that moves! Shepard took a heavy swig of her drink as Kaidan went on about biotics or something like that.

"Glad we got a chance to do this." Kaidan said conversationally, "The crew was getting pretty damned depressed."

"Yeah, well, they don't have to deal with the council." Shepard groaned, "Seriously feel like a pet on a leash with them."

"Aliens are like that ma'am." Ashley put in, earning a glare from her. Ash was quick to raise her hands in a placatory manner, "Not all aliens, skipper. Just broad strokes here."

"Clarify."

"The Turians for example Shepard." Ash tried to keep the bitterness from her voice. She knew it was a risk talking about those bird bastard in front of two superior officers but the drinks had started to go to her head, "They may be playing friendly now but when push comes to shove they'll leave humanity in the void if it saves their asses."

"Could say the same for us, Ashley." Shepard countered.

"I could. And I do." Ashley leaned back in her seat, "Problem is we're all humans. So we look out for humans, just as much as Turians looks out for Turians."

"The council doesn't trust us." Kaidan put in, "The Turians especially. Still…the occasional benefit of the doubt would be nice."

"Be glad neither of you are Spectres." Shepard sighed, "It's not all it's cracked up to be."

"Well for now…" Kaidan looked away casually as Shepard leaned forward.

"Kaidan?" She smirked, "Got your eyes on my job?"

"Someone has to be the second Spectre." He shrugged, "Might as well be me."

"Hold your horses' tough guy." Ash shoved him playfully, "Pretty sure it's going to be a girl's only club for a while."

"Nah, you're a good third Spectre." Kaidan put in. Ash gasped but that smug look on his face was nearly impossible to resist. God damn him for being so sexy! Ash looked to Shepard and to her shock Shepard nodded her head.

"Third." She repeated. Ashley huffed and crossed her arms. She would make Kaidan earn her good graces the hard way.

"Well fuck both of you too." She said and they laughed. It took a moment but she eventually laughed too.

"Don't worry Chief." Shepard said after the laughter died down, "Once we get Saren I'm sure there will be promotions to go around."

They fell into silence after that. Shepard knew instantly she had ruined the mood by bringing that Turian bastard up again. She cursed under her breath. She was supposed to be relaxing with her friends, not reminding them of the near impossibility of their task.

"Hey Williams." Shepard suddenly called out, drawing Ashley from her broody distrust of the xenos. Ash looked up, surprised to see open challenge written across her commanding officer's face.

"Skipper?"

"Free drinks all night says I can eat more chicken wings then you." Shepard placed the Flux menu before her and pointed. Ashley's color drained from her face at the challenge and she met Shepard's smug face with a dead-serious glare.

"Oohh you're on bitch." Ash said and shook Shepard's outstretched hand.

"Good." Shepard smirked, "Been meaning to show you whose queen around here." Shepard sipped from her beer, eyes never leaving Ashley's. For a moment she saw her sister in Shepard's playful eyes and smiled at that. Shepard was a good woman, even if her drunk self tended to bite off more than she could chew.

"Bitch." Shepard added and glanced at Kaidan, "Alenko, keep score. And thanks for the drinks."

Ashley narrowed her eyes as they flagged down the Asari waitress again.

_Oh it's on!_

0000000

"Keelah…" Tali slurred as she stumbled out of the Flux, "I didn't think a single person could eat that much."

Behind her the three Alliance marines followed in similar states. Despite the outcome of the match, both Shepard and Ashley wore proud, drunk grins. Shepard stumbled after her Quarian companion and Ashley was happy to hang off Kaidan, who was by far the least drunk of the lot.

"You're so sexy." Ash mumbled in his ear and bit along his neck, "What say we give the Commander a show?"

"Ash!" Kaidan hissed between clenched teeth. His hand gripped hers hard as she made to pull his shirt off, "Control yourself for a few more moments."

"Picture!" Tali suddenly called out, drawing the attention of the two talking Marines and Shepard was in in vain trying to work an 'Out of Order' taxi ordering console. The drunken Spectre looked up.

"What?!" She managed, eyes trying hard to focus on the suddenly numerous Quarian engineers.

"Line up!" Tali motioned for the three to stand together, and stumbled to the side, the sudden motion knocking her off balance, "I want a picture to show my Auntie!"

"I don't know Tali…" Ash mumbled. She hated pictures.

"Come on Ash!" Shepard grinned and threw her arm around the Alliance Marine, "It's for family!"

"I-" Shepard put a finger over Ash's lips.

"It's an order." She slurred and Kaidan chuckled. Ash shot him a loaded look.

"You're okay with this abuse of authority?!"

"Oh I'd love to see Shepard abuse her authority with you." Kaidan said before he could stop himself. Ash's eyes widened and Tali seemed to stand a little stiffer. Shepard whistled.

"Whoa LT!" Shepard staggered over to him, "So there _is_ a man under that stuffy uniform and perfectly combed hair." She smiled at him and for some reason Ashley wanted to pull the drunken commander off him, despite knowing Shepard didn't swing for men. "But I don't think Ashley would want that." She turned to the Williams woman and Ash felt like prey being watched by a predator. "At least not yet."

Ash squirmed at the flash of excitement in Kaidan's eyes. She narrowed her eyes at him as a clear signal – no fucking way.

A moment passed before Shepard and Kaidan broke out in roaring laughter. Shepard slumped fully against him and his arm traveled down to her hip to hold her steady. Ash noticed but no one else did. But despite herself she started to laugh with them. Shepard was a riot drunk and Kaidan had finally let the mask slip and the man underneath the uniform out.

_*CLICK* _

They all looked up at the Quarian and her activated omnitool. Tali took a moment to look at the picture and 'awwed'. She typed a few buttons and at once all three alliance issued omnitools flashed on as they received a copy of the photo. Ash sighed as she saw that together the three of them looked the picture of human diversity and happiness.

"Damn we look fine." Shepard slurred and saved the picture, "I hate to be the buzzkill but its 0230 hours."

"Keelah!" Tali exclaimed, "I am going to be so sick in the morning."

"Come on Tali, I'll get you back to the Normandy." Shepard took three steps before falling to a knee. Kaidan was at her side in a heartbeat and slug her arm over she shoulder. "Lieutenant, you keep this up and I might have to change sides."

"I'm sure Dr. T'Soni would kill us both, ma'am." Kaidan said with a grin. He keyed in a taxi to come pick them up and soon enough a sleek yellow skycar swooped in and landed softly on the platform.

"Shotgun!" Shepard called out. Tali ducked suddenly.

"WHERE?!" She exclaimed, eyes darting. Ashley laughed.

"It's a human expression Tali; to sit in the shotgun seat." She helped the quarian to her feet, "You're in no danger at all."

"Keelah you humans are odd." Tali managed and placed a hand on her chest to calm her racing heart. Kaidan eased the drunk Shepard into a seat. Shepard gave Kaidan a lazy wink before her head lolled to one side and she was passed out. Tali clambered in after her and slunk back in her chair.

"You two coming?" Tali asked and Ashley blushed at the teasing tone in her voice. Kaidan made a show of searching his pockets and offered a consolatory smile.

"I think I forgot my wallet in the Flux." He said, "I'll catch the next taxi."

"I better stay with him." Ashley said and Tali stifled a giggle, "Make sure he doesn't get lost or mugged."

"Okay." Tali said in a sing-song voice and activated the taxi's control consoles, "I'll get Shepard back to the Normandy."

The taxi's door closed shut and rose on smooth anti-grav engines. It turned in place and zoomed off

"So…" Kaidan walked up behind her as she watched Shepard and Tali's taxi disappear into the Citadel's fake sky. Ashley cast an amused glance at him.

"So…" She repeated. Kaidan looked at him omni-tool.

"I don't have to report back until 1800 hours tomorrow." Kaidan looked away, as if ashamed or blushing, "And it just so happens neither do you."

"Remind me to thank my Staff Lieutenant when I see him again." Ash replied. Kaidan looked at her with heavy eyes. They made a deliberate effort not to refer to one another by rank or title when not in uniform. Saved confusing the man with the rank.

"Oh I think he knows." The smile on his face was so smug she just wanted to jack him in the face. Kiss him afterwards, but damned if she didn't want to smack him. And that just made her want him more. It wasn't fair how smoky and deep those eyes were.

_Moody bastard… _

"Does he know how bad I want him to fuck me?" She asked, eyes alight with desire.

"He might know that too."

"Then he better call a damned taxi ASAP." Ashley leaned forward, wrapping her fingers on his neck and playing with the hair on the back of his head, "I don't like waiting."

He moved to the console and tried to activate it. Ashley couldn't wait and longer and gripped his head in her hands and pulled him down to meet her.

Ashley fought for dominance with Kaidan's tongue as he fumbled with his credit chit at the terminal. She decided not to make it easy for him, despite her need for him to be as quick as possible. Kaidan tried to pull away to see the screen and Ash followed his head, lips constantly pressed against his.

"Ash –mmmm – need to – mmff – see the screen." He managed between furious kisses. She smirked against his face.

"Why?" She gripped his head hard and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "I'm just going to fuck you in the taxi anyway."

Kaidan responded by kneading her breast through her shirt and she sighed at the feeling, "Then don't you want the taxi here sooner than later?"

She conceded the point and spun sharply to work the terminal. Kaidan's added his second hand to her chest, squeezing her breasts too hard. Ash leaned back into him and ground her ass against his crotch. He squeezed tighter and she shuddered.

"You won't be walking straight for a week." He promised in her ear. Ash reached a hand back to pull his head down to a kiss.

"I'm not some tramp, Lieutenant Alenko." She smiled as he went stiff, "I expect to be treated like a lady you know."

"I…I'm sorry, Ashley." He managed and his grip on her chest slackened. She huffed and kissed him.

"Don't go thinking of me as soft either." She bit his lip and pulled, "I'm still going to ride you until I pass out."

Their taxi landed softly on the pad and despite what she just said, Kaidan let go of Ashley and walked over to the idling skycar. He opened the door and fixed her with a serious look.

"After you." He motioned inside. Ashley was momentarily stunned. No one opened a door for a Williams woman. Still the act was oddly touching and despite the alcohol running through her system she took a moment to admire how charming Kaidan was trying to be. Any other woman would be blushing their face off. But Ashley would just fuck him all the harder.

She walked over to the idling taxi, putting an extra sway in her hips. As she passed Kaidan she trailed her finger along his chest, up his collarbone and to his lips. "Thank you, kind sir."

She sat down politely and made a show of smoothing out her shirt before ripping it from her body and snapping off her bra. She shuddered at the sudden cold against her skin but her nipples were already rock hard from Kaidan's constant attention. She could see red bruises forming on her skin in the shape of his palms and smiled at it. Then she slowly laid back on the taxi seat and spread her legs.

"Kaidan, get in here and fuck me." She declared. Kaidan paused for just a moment to check where the taxi was going and then clambered in.

Ashley orgasmed twice before they even reached their hotel.

0000000

Ashley was sweating and trying desperately to control her breathing. Her vision swam and she clenched her fist to give them something to do. Her heart pounded, blood rushed in her veins and she had to cough over a gasp of pleasure. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kadain, straight faced and serious. The distinct lack of grin was driving her mad.

Shepard was droning on and on about some new mission to some planet to kill some mercenaries. Ashley knew it was absolutely terrible she wasn't listening but since the briefing started ten minutes ago, she hadn't heard a word her commanding officer said. Not over the rushing in her ears.

Kaidan made a show of activating his omni-tool and uploading a map of the mercenary compound. Ash knew it was coming but she was still shocked ridged by the jolt of pleasure and energy that ran up her body. She squeaked and all eyes turned to her.

_Oh shit! _

"Ashley, something to add?" Shepard asked, not unkindly. Kaidan fixed her with a gaze that was half interested, half smug satisfaction.

"I was just surprised by the amount of firepower those mercs have." Ash motioned to the detailed holomap on the display pad. She hoped that she had read the map right. Kaidan must have felt a pang of sympathy and weighed in.

"I'll agree with Williams on this, ma'am." He leaned forward, head resting on his hands and lips pursed. Ash fought the horrible, painful urge to cross the briefing room and take those lips for hers, "Three YMIR mechs? A dozen LOKIs and twice that in heavy weapons and men? Are they mercenaries or damned special forces?"

"Scared Lieutenant?" Shepard teased. Ashley wanted to smirk with the rest of the ground team, but instead she scowled. If anyone in this room had the balls to take on the Eclipse, it was Kaidan! Ash knew that from firsthand experience.

She blinked.

When did she get protective of her fuck-buddy?

"Just tactically aware you like to charge into firefights, ma'am." Kaidan replied coolly. Ashley smirked and felt a jolt of pleasure run up her spine. She let out a shuttering breath and clenched her fists tight to her side.

"Well we'll be rolling in with the Mako." Shepard nodded to the Quarian member of the ground team, "With the upgrades Tali swung for the shields and accelerator canons, a few mechs won't be a problem."

Shepard returned to the briefing, explaining in detail the timing and nature of their assault. Ash paid as close attention as she could; Kaidan activated his omnitool again and the pressure in her body eased only slightly. It was enough to allow her to pay attention but deny her release.

She hated it.

The briefing ended and Shepard dismissed them. Ashley knew she needed to get to the armory to be ready to modify any weapons the ground team would need. But she waited. The others filed out one-by-one, Liara and Shepard in a heated conversation and Garrus mumbling to Tali about the Mako. Wrex was as grumbly as ever but the bloodlust in his eyes was obvious.

"Remind me to check on the omniscreen when we get back." Tali said absently, "I kept hearing a muffled buzzing noise."

Ashley gulped hard and Kaidan's eyes were alight with amusement. When they were finally alone on the briefing room, he smirked, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Buzzing noise, huh?" He asked. Ashley surged at him, gripping his shirt tightly and wrenching his face to meet hers.

"Get this damned vibrator out of me!" She hissed and Kaidan smirked. He pulled up his omnitool and turned the device to max.

"Sure you don't mean turn it higher?" He whispered as Ashley threw her head back and moaned. She let out a shuttering gasp, fingers digging into his firm chest. Kaidan wrapped his arms around her and she felt a strange feeling of security in his arms.

"Kaidan…I…" She managed, the pleasure coursing through her body and sending her nerves alight.

"Just let it go." Kaidan whispered, "You'll feel better." He leaned down and kissed along her neck. Ashley ran her fingers through his hair as she moaned. Kaidan's hand worked quickly, loosening her belt and buckles just enough to slip his hand into her pants.

Ashley gasped as his finger pressed against her clitoris. He stroked it hard as she moaned and thrashed in his arms. When she came Ashley sagged into his body, legs turning to jelly and eyes watering.

"Oh God…" Ashley whispered. She kissed him and smirked, "That was so hot."

"I can't take all the credit." Kaidan whispered and his fingers gripped the cylinder in her folds. She gasped and twitched, "This is yours after all." He deactivated the device but left it in; only final tease. Ashley would need to find time to remove it herself.

"Guess it's your turn next, huh?" Ash bit her lips as she toyed with ideas of how to tease him. Kaidan gulped but his eyes were alight with danger and excitement.

"Tempting, but I'm not using this on myself." Kaidan smirked as he withdrew his hand from her pants. He looked at his fingers and licked him, eyes locked on Ashley. She shuttered, imaging his tongue on other parts of her body.

"You're going to be the death of me, Kaidan." She managed though her body told her she was ready for another round.

_Later._

"I can't help it if every time I see you I just want to lick you."

"Oh really?" Ashley leaned forward, lips dancing just above his, "What else do you want to do to my body?"

"I-"

Their omnitools flashed at once. Ashley looked at hers. Shepard had released the two hour until deployment warning. Ashley scowled but Kaidan was quick to wipe it away with his lips.

"Alliance first, fun second." He said, serious, "We agreed to that."

"Yes sir." She snapped a sharp salute. Kaidan returned it and the sexy beast was instantly replaced with a hard-as-nails Staff Lieutenant.

"To your duties, Chief Williams."

"Aye-Aye Sir." She said crisply and made to leave. She stopped, an idea forming in her head. She turned sharply, took one step towards Kaidan.

"Williams, what-" She wrapped one arm around his neck and wrenched him into a burning kiss. The other gripped his growing member through his pants and squeezed hard. He moaned and she pulled away.

"Enjoy the blue balls, sir." She smirked and left.

0000000

Kaidan sighed and rubbed the exhaustion from his eyes. His body ached for rest but he adamantly refused to give in. His fingers danced across the holographic controls of the Normandy's command console. It was late into the night-time shift of the warship and it had been his turn to be the deck officer. His only company was Corporal Mengsk, all the way down in the CIC, more than likely getting some sleep of his own.

Not that Kaidan was bothered by the solitude or silence. It was refreshing from the normally hectic and loud warship – with dozens of boots pounding on the floors, the same number of conversations echoing in the corridors and countless consoles and machines bleeping and blurping endless it was near impossible to find anywhere on the warship that was peaceful. Much as he enjoyed Tali'Zorah, the Quarian must have been out of her mind to think the Normandy was too silent to sleep on. He dreaded to think how loud the Flotilla must be.

But more than anything the silence was a time for contemplation and there was only one thing, one person, on his mind.

_Ashley Williams. _

That beautiful hellcat with a heart of gold and an ass he just wanted to sink his teeth into. He knew their fling was wrong; he was the superior officer and he was supposed to be above this. But that all seemed to fade away when she was in the room. Even before that first night in the cargo hold it had been difficult to take his eyes off the beauty. Shepard was beautiful certainly, as was Dr. T'Soni, but there was something completely unforgettable about Ashley. Maybe it was how effortless she seemed. Liara seemed almost unnaturally flawless and Shepard's dominating attitude was difficult to warm up to but Ashley…

He had liked her from their first meeting on Eden Prime. No nonsense, attitude to spar and a dead-eye shot at one hundred yards. Her dead sexiness was only matched by her sexy deadliness. Maybe that was why he was so willing to throw the regulations to the wind. She was so unique and singular he would have regretted not getting a piece of that ass while he could.

Kaidan was so wrapped up in his thoughts, a dopey smile plastered on his lips, that he didn't notice the boot steps behind him until a shadow darkened his console.

"Hey."

"GAH!" He exclaimed, heart skipping a beat. He looked up at a deadly, sexy brunette with full lips trying their hardest not to break into a laughing fit. She lasted about half a heartbeat before laughing. Kaidan narrowed his eyes at her and crossed his arms.

"Christ, Kaidan." Ashley laughed, "Badass Marine biotic and scares easier than a little girl on Halloween."

"You're lucky I didn't use my biotics and toss you across the hold." Kaidan slunk back in his chair, "The hell you doing up anyway?"

"Midnight snack; wanted to get to the mess hall before the shift change." Ash teased and offered him a cup of steaming liquid. Kaidan took it and inhaled deeply. He smiled.

"No sugar or cream right?" He asked and she nodded.

"Please, we're Alliance Marines, not those pussy Asari commandos." Ashley replied hotly and Kaidan smirked as he sipped. The drink was scolding hot and he let it burn down his throat, enjoying that his body was suddenly very awake and aware.

"Don't let Dr. T'Soni here you say that." Kaidan looked up from his cup, "She might put you on your ass."

"I'd like to see that delicate flower try." Ash huffed and crossed her arms, "You know she's never once sparred with me? Not even once!"

"Well maybe I told her not to." Kaidan said, earning a loaded glare from her, "Maybe I want to be the only one you _spar_ with." At this Ashley blushed and mumbled something as she looked away. They settled into a companionable silence as Ash sat against the command console. She noticed Kaidan's gaze on her toned legs and her tight black shorts. She smirked at his eyes slowly traveled up her body and she made a very obvious show of looking him up and down, biting her fingernail because she liked what she saw.

"So…" He cleared his throat. It was adorable how he squirmed under her heated gaze. It was as if no woman had ever lusted after him. It was absurd but part of Ashley wondered if she was the first who ever looked passed his biotics. She licked her lips and he looked away, "What did you find in the mess hall? Anything left?"

Ash glanced down the narrow neck of the Normandy's command deck and quickly clambored over the console to get into Kaidan's lap. She made quick work of kissing his lips and neck and quickly bit his ear. "I haven't eaten yet." She whispered hotly before meeting his eyes with a mischievous grin and sliding off his lap.

"Ashley!" Kaidan protested and glanced over his shoulder. He just knew Adams or worse, Shepard, would come striding down the deck any second. Logically he knew it was too late – or early as it stood – for them to be up. But with Ashley around, logical thinking was damn near impossible.

"A girls gotta eat, Kaidan." Ash smiled and unbuckled his pants and slid them passed his hips, "You wouldn't deny me a little snack, would you?"

"Little?" Kaidan protested. Ash snorted as she pulled his hardening member from his boxer-briefs.

"Okay not little." She admired him again – it was always a pleasure seeing his manhood and knowing it was hers. She licked up his shaft and moaned, "Christ I'm hungry Kaidan." He smiled.

"Eat up then." He managed before she took him in her mouth. Ash worked her tongue over his head and pushed him into the back of her throat. She gagged and pulled him out. Kaidan was staring at her with wild eyes and Ashley kissed along his length.

"You like that Kaidan?" She asked and kissed his tip, "You like it when I suck your dick?"

"Ash…" He mewled and she bobbed up and down rapidly, enjoying the moans and groans he made.

_That's right. This is mine to play with. _

She took as much of him in her mouth as she could but even knowing how big he was, she struggled. She gasped as he popped out and wrapped her lips around his tip, swirling her tongue around it over and over. Kaidan's breathing was growing rapid and hesitant. His hand moved of his own accord and gripped her hair. Ash let him force her down, deeper into her mouth. It was so hot when he took over.

_That's its Kaidan. Take what you want. _

"Ash…Ash….I'm…" He breathed. Ashley moaned a response and licked all up his shaft. He bucked in her mouth and she could feel his head swelling at the back of her throat. She gagged and he eased up just enough before he finished.

Ash swallowed all of it, relishing the taste of him. When he finished twitching in her mouth she used her hands to coax every drop out. She smiled up at him and licked her fingers. Kaidan was breathing hard and his head was slumped to one side. He smiled weakly at her as she stood.

Ash carefully stepped over the console and leaned down to whisper in his ear,

"Thanks for the snack, LT." She bit hard, "See you in the hangar later."

0000000

"Hey." Ashley looked up from her work, eyes heavy with exhaustion and face drawn tight in concentration. She looked a complete mess, hair and face stained with grease, eyes sunken and rimmed red and lips cracked and bleeding from constant chewing as she worked. Ashley Williams had never been a vain woman, but she hated that the man before her had to see her like this. Wrex looked positively stunning compare to the dirty mess she was.

"Hey." Ashley managed as Kaidan leaned against the bench. He looked down at her work, eyes scrunching slightly.

"Shepard's new pistol?" He ventured. Ash nodded and picked up the sleek black weapon.

"She wanted a recoil dampener and tungsten rounds upgraded to it before we touch down at out next stop." Ash sighed as she placed the gun back down, "Fourth weapon this shift. My fingers are practically raw."

Kaidan reached down and took her hands in his. She relished his warmth and before she could stop him he brought her bloody and dirty fingers to his lips and kissed them.

"LT!" She exclaimed and looked around; thankful Garrus was arms deep in the mako and listening to music on his omnitool. Kaidan smirked.

"What? Grease is sexy on a woman."

"Yeah, about as sexy as a sweat reeking fatigues, swamp ass and enough grease to lubricate an engine." Ash shook her head and looked back at her work, "Look I need to-"

He pressed a finger to her lips. "I know." He pulled something from behind his back, "Brought you this though."

Ashley's stomach grumbled. It was a steaming cup of coffee and one of those gourmet muffins Liara had purchased on the Citadel. Her eyes went to Kaidan for a moment and he nodded. She took the cup and sipped; she sighed at taste. Then after a minute a sense of deja vu entered her and she looked up at him,

"You didn't come here to eat me out, did you?" She asked playfully, "As much as I like Garrus, I'm not about to give him a show."

"As much as I would like to…" He looked down at her waist and licked his lips. Ashley shivered under his gaze and squeezed her legs together as a sudden warmth flowed through her. "I have reports to file."

"Right." She was oddly disappointed and looked back at the pistol, "But seriously…thanks for a coffee and snack." She felt a stirring in her heart and tried to articulate what it meant, "It…it means a lot. Having someone like you around."

"Well I care about you Ash." He looked away, "A lot."

"Kaidan?"

"It's nothing." He shook his head and smiled at her, "I gotta go."

"Right. Yeah, back to it." She turned away. His hands were suddenly on her chest, squeezing her breasts and seeking out her nipples. Ashley had just enough time to gasp before his hot breath washed over her neck and ears. He squeezed hard and she shivered.

"Kai-"

"Be down here after your shift, Chief." He whispered, "I have to work through dinner today and I'll be plenty hungry." He kissed her neck, "And that's an order."

Then he was gone, striding away as if nothing had happened. Ashley was left breathless, the feeling of his lips and hands leaving painful echoes on her body. Her legs suddenly cried out for attention and she fought the urge to chase after him and fuck him in the elevator. She glanced over her shoulder just in time to see the door to the elevator shut. She smiled, heart alight with passion and desire.

"Sir yes sir."

0000000

"Fuck."

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck!"

Ash repeated the words mindlessly, her head lolling back and a ragged breath breaking out of her lips. Her hands squeezed her breasts and she shuddered.

"Oh God Kaidan!" She moaned and she felt him hum in response, "Yes! God! YES!"

His tongue played across her clitoris again and he clamped his lips down hard, taking the small numb between his teeth. He bit hard enough for her to gasp and darted his tongue across it rapidly. Ashley shuddered and her hands moved on their own, raking through his black hair and forcing his face tighter between her legs. She needed all the stimulation that she could get. His tongue entered her folds proper. Ash pressed him tighter, gripping his head in both hands. Absently she wondered if he could breathe but her body's need overrode that.

Kaidan's used one hand to press down on her stomach, forcing her constantly rising hips to stay still. His other pried open her soaking wet folds and he practically dove in. He raked his teeth over her clitoris and licked her feverously. He gave her the attention he knew she loved and she gave him the praise she knew he thrived off of.

"God Kaidan…" She mewled. She could feel the buildup in her legs. "Please! I'm so close!" she imagined he smirked against her and she shivered. He was simply incredible at this. His tongue played across her, teasing her without ever fully committing. She growled and tried to force his head in deeper. To her annoyance, he resisted and returned to placing slow delicate kisses on her swollen desperate lips. She wanted to scream – to beg – him to give her that release.

It wasn't about just getting off anymore. It was getting off because of him. Somehow over the past few weeks she had begun to conflate Kaidan with pleasure and relaxing. She knew she shouldn't but that bastard was so perfect and-

Without warning he bit down on her clit and shoved two bioticly charged fingers inside her.

Ash gasped, gagged on her own breath as her orgasm shattered her mind. She tried to cry out, to make any sound at all as his fingers pounded into her and his tongue lapped up her gushing juices. But her body refused to listen and she simply sagged back, arms and legs twitching uncontrollably and a desperate, pathetic hum escaping her mouth. She mumbled something, but she no more knew what words she had said than her lips did. Her body sank against the workbench Kaidan had propped her on when he was finished with her, after several long seconds of delicate licking, each one sending Ashley's body in spasms, Kaidan stood and wiped his mouth off with the back of his hand.

"Feeling better now?" He asked teasingly. Ashley responded by desperately reaching out for his head and pulling him into a burning kiss. She tasted herself on his lips and it was odd. Not unpleasant, but odd. She pressed herself into him, heart hammering in her chest and a powerful need to be close to him burning in her.

She felt almost…primal. This was her mate and she needed him. Her hands reached down to his belt, working the buckles expertly.

"Ash." Kaidan managed between desperate kisses, "We don't have the time."

"I need this Kaidan." She said feverously, "I need **you**." He looked hesitant, glancing at his omni-tool. She wrapped her arms around his powerful shoulders and pressed her forehead to his.

"Please…" She whispered, hands continuing to pull his throbbing member from its place. Even as his oice protested, his body betrayed him. He was so hard and swollen. No way could he go without taking care of this. She smiled and kissed him delicately.

"Slow…" She whispered as she eased him inside her, "That's it. Mmhhmm…"

Kaidan gave him and kissed her. He thrust in, going to the hilt. Ashley gasped and fell back, letting him take her over crashing orgasms.

She told herself there was no burning emotion in her heart. That she wasn't falling for him.

She didn't believe herself.

0000000

"Hey, Alenko!" Ash called out as she rummaged through the equipment crates, "Did we bring any provisions?"

When he didn't respond Ashley growled in annoyance and closed the lid on the matt-grey crate and strode out from behind the idling Mako tank. Kaidan Alenko was standing at their sensor node, uploading geographical maps to the Normandy's database in orbit. Ashley took a moment to pause and watch him. The light of Parax's bright white sun cast him in a beautiful silhouette. Ashley bit her lip – lean, armored and handsome. Exactly how she likes them. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up from his work and she took in a breath as the light caught his hair and brown eyes.

"You say something?" He asked, slightly amused at the open-mouthed look he was receiving. Ashley's mouth went dry and she thanked whatever high power that this man was hers.

"I uh…" She stammered then shook her head vigorously. She was a Williams, damn it! Not a gushing schoolgirl. "We…we brought food, right?"

"Yeah, got MRE rations over there." He motioned to a distant crate set out while unpacking the Mako for yet another survey mission. Ash nodded and strode over to it, aware Kaidan's eyes were locked on the sway of her hips in her bubblegum pink and white armor. She smirked and found a six-pack of featureless water bottles. She took one and tossed it to Kadain before getting one for herself and relaxing on the box. She sipped and sighed at the cooling drink as it went down her throat.

"Is it wrong that I want to bend you over that crate and spank you until your ass is red?" Kaidan called out as he observed a slew of sensor returns. Ashley was momentarily at a loss for words, and her lips toyed somewhere between a smirk and hesitant smile.

"I'd rather you come over and kiss me until my lips are swollen." She teased and then motioned to her omnitool, "but I bought a vid off the extranet if you want to watch it with me."

Kaidan nodded and activated an auto-execute subroutine on his omnitool. It was chime if the scanners detected anything interesting. He walked over quickly and Ash was just about to activate her omnitool when he captured her in a painful kiss. Ash was taken aback and fell to the ground, taking him with her. They landed hard and his heavy weight pressed her into the ground – no that she cared. It was sexy being under a heavily armored Marine.

Even on the ground he didn't let up, ravaging her lips angrily. He sucked and bit and pressed himself harder on her, practically smothering her with his body. Ashley's mind started to go hazy – he smelled of machine oil, plasteel plating and soap. It was intoxicating in its masculinity and she let herself get lost in him.

When he pulled away her eyes were hooded, heavy and gazing intently into his. Ashley felt something stir in her chest, something she couldn't place but wanted to bask in for as long as possible. Kaidan's gaze was similarly hooded and distant. She saw something in his eyes oddly familiar yet alien. He reached out and brushed some strands of loose hair from her face. Despite that he was wearing heavy armor she leaned into his hand, letting him cup her china. She relished their closeness.

"Ashley I-" She placed a finger to his lips, stopping him. Her heart hammered in her chest and she told herself he wasn't about to say what she thought he was about to say. She wasn't ready to hear those words, nor be able to say them back. Instead she slowly rolled him over and rested her head against his armored chest.

"I got Blasto 5: Revenge of the Blood Tide." She whispered and queued up the vid on her omnitool. She rubbed her head against his neck, relishing the beat of her heart and the butterflies in her stomach. "Watch it with me?"

Kaidan kissed her forehead and smirked into her hair, "Of course."

0000000

Ashley sat drumming her fingers on the workbench, eyes gazing off into nothing. She had been surfing through the extranet on her omni-tool but she had long since lost interest. Today her heart was simply not in her work.

_Armistice Day. _

A somber and bitter reminder of how her family had failed the Alliance and Humanity in one gloriously unforgotten and unforgiven moment. For her and her family today wasn't a cause for celebration; it was a day of mourning and of taking stock of one's life.

_What have you done since last Armistice Day? _

That's what her father always said to Ashley and her sister. It was a reminder that a Williams had to be better, stronger and more fit for service than all the others. Exceptional for other recruits was merely good for a Williams. It had to be that way or their family would just be shat on for the rest of time. Today she just wanted to brood and drink until she had to go back on duty. Thankfully that wasn't for over 24 hours. She popped the top on her third beer and gulped half down in one go. Today was a good day to be alone.

And she didn't want a visit from a certain Lieutenant. She couldn't deal with the disappointment in his eyes; that questioning look asking why he was involved with a Williams of all people. With any luck Kaidan was swamped with requisition orders and staffing and today could go by unremembered.

But, as in most things, luck was not on Ashley's side today.

Garrus was off tending to his Mako, calibrating something or another and Wrex was snoring loudly in the corner. The elevator door swooshed open smoothly and Ash glanced over.

"Shit." She muttered under her breath. Kaidan had been smiling at her as he approached but when she turned away his smile fell. He slowed as he drew near as if sensing her mood

"Ash?" He called out when he was still a few feet away, "You okay?"

"Peachy!" Ashley responded, forcing a very fake smile, "See? All smiles and lollipops!"

"Uh huh." Kaidan said and crossed his arms, "And the alcohol on your breath is just what, unicorn steaks?"

"Okay so I'm not in the best mood today." Ash snipped, "Just say what you gotta say and leave me alone for a while, huh?"

"Did I do something wrong?" Kaidan asked, genuinely confused. That only made Ash's eyes narrow more.

"Look I'm just having a drink because of what day it is. This" She raised her can of beer, her third of the hour, "Has nothing to do with you, Mr. Perfect."

"Today?" Kaidan looked at the floor for a moment, deep in thought, "Armistice Day? Most people celebrate today, Ash."

"Today is not a celebration!" She spat then hesitated and looked down at her can. She swirled the remaining liquid, "More of a…obligation." The look he gave her made Ashley pause. He looked absolutely lost and his lips had pursed to almost a point. He was thinking this over hard, "…don't tell me you've never heard of my family?"

"Not…specifically?" He ventured, still lost.

"Shit." She whispered and slammed her hand on the bench, "Fuck! If I had kept my damn mouth shut…" Kaidan put a hand to her shoulder and squeezed gently. Despite herself she enjoyed the touch.

"Ash, what's going on?" His voice was soft and it touched her. he was genuinely concerned about her.

"Look…" She gulped hard, "I'm General William's granddaughter. You know, Battle of Shanxi? Only human to surrender to an alien race? The disgrace of the Alliance in the First Contact War."

"So…your family is black listed with the Alliance?" Kaidan didn't need to look at her to know he had guessed correct. He folded his arms and leaned against the worktable. Despite the situation she admired his toned arms, "Can't say I don't know what that feels like." He tapped his head, "Most people think biotics are either crazy or walking time bombs."

"It's not the same!" Ash snarled but took a deep breath, "But…I take your meaning. We're both outcasts I guess."

"Way I remember it your grandfather held out for a long time." Kaidan offered softly, "Made the Turians bleed for every meter they took."

"The Turians took down the orbitals in the first wave and occupied the major cities. They sat in orbit dropping plasma bombs on anything that moved, including civilians." She glanced over the Garrus, eyes narrowed but the Turian didn't notice, "Troops were starving, civilians were dying and the Alliance couldn't offer support. He surrendered the garrison."

"I'm sorry I didn't find out sooner." Kaidan told her, "If I had known what today meant I would have helped…"

"Do I look like I need help?" Ash retorted but there was the barest hint of a smile on her lips, "I'm not looking for a shoulder to cry on, or a knight to rescue me." She smirked, "I like who I am. And you better like her too."

"Oh I like her." Kaidan smirked and scooted closer. Ash leaned against the bench too and scooted so their hips were touching. She rested her head against his shoulder, relishing his heat and proximity.

"Really? Baggage and all?" she dared. Her heart was beating a little fast. No one in the Alliance had ever looked past her name. Yet here was a gorgeous, kind, caring and professional career man looking at her like there was no one in the universe. She could enjoy living with that look.

_Maybe…just maybe…_

"Hell, Ash." Kaidan tapped his head again, "I have an element zero implant in the base of my skull. On a good day it just hurts. On a bad day, it may explode taking out half the ship. If that's not baggage, I don't know what is…"

"Glad we understand one another." She bumped into him and offered him her beer can, "Drink for Armistice day?"

He took one look at her beer and started to laugh. Ash was momentarily at a loss for words, "What is that, Blue Ribbon?!"

"Hey!" Ash crossed her arms, actually offended, "Only shit I could afford and sneak onboard."

"Wait here Ash." Kaidan said as started to walk away.

"Kaidan!" She called after him, "What the fuck? We were having a moment, you ass!"

"We still are, just wait there." He was smiling the entire time and she wanted nothing more than to smack that smirk off his kissable lips, "I have something that can help."

Ash was speechless for a long moment. Had he been toying with her? Had he known about her family the entire time and just wanted to see her smile just to dash everything against the rocks?!

Ashley took a deep breath and ordered herself to remain calm. This was Kaidan she was thinking about; the only thing he did worse than lying was being mean. He was too kind and collected. Ash chugged what was left of her beer and remained patient, though it took a pretty good miracle to do so.

Thankfully Kaidan didn't take long and this time her eyes were locked on him as he strode back. That smirk never left his face.

"With all due respect sir, I was confessing pretty heavy shit and leaning against you but you just up and leave and…and…" She trailed off when Kaidan showered her what he brought. It was a blue tinted bottle. She took it in steady hands, eyes wide, "McAcallan Nova?!"

"Little bit better than that pitiful excuse for a beer." Kaidan set two metal cups on the table and unscrewed the lid, "Been saving this bottle for a special occasion." He gave her a soft smile and her heart fluttered. Her eyes were locked on him as he poured.

"Kaidan, this has to be a 1500 credit bottle of scotch." She whispered. He held out a cup for her.

"1750 actually." He said with a smile. She took the glass, never one to turn down fine scotch when offered.

"Seriously? Wasting fine scotch on this?"

"Well you're involved." He said simply, "It's not a waste then." She was speechless, a disbelieving smile on her lips. He held up his glass, "To Armistice day then?"

"Fuck that." She clinked her cup against his, "To us." They drank together and Ash relished the burn of a real alcoholic drink. Ash set her cup aside, still mostly full and watched Kaidan for a long moment. All manner of emotions were roiling around inside her, all culminating into one thought, one action.

"You know Ash, I was-" Ash took his face in her hands and pulled him into a burning kiss. His lips tasted like scotch and he smelled like soap and grease. It was perfect. It only lasted for a moment but that was long enough. When she pulled away she rested her forehead against his.

"You're something else, LT." She whispered, cheeks flushed and eyes alight, "I'm glad you're with me."

"So am I."

0000000

Ash ripped the helm from her head and closed her eyes. Blood and sweat caked her features and as she removed her armored gauntlet she found her hand shaking. She let out a small gasp and ran her bare hand over her face.

_Fucking Saren…_

Ashley felt bile rise in her throat – making Liara kill her own mother! It was disgusting beyond understanding. For a woman so close to her family, Ashley found it abhorrent in a way that nothing else ever had. The Asari commandos had been willing servants and she felt nothing when she blew their heads off. But watching Benezia bleeding out on the floor with Liara sobbing over her…

_Little Wing…_

Ashley dry heaved, thankful she didn't have anything to throw up. She stayed crouched over a refuse tin for a long time, eyes streaming with tears of absolute rage. Liara was a nice girl; 'sweet as pie' her dad would have called her. Smart, quick on her feet, always ready with a terrible joke and beautiful in that unearthly asari way. And Liara's biotics had saved Ash's hide more times then she cared to mention.

The ride back to the Normandy had been nothing short of hell. Ashley, Shepard and Tali had all tried to talk to the distraught Asari, but Liara had just stared straight ahead, eyes locked in the distance and unable to say anything. Ashley knew a mental collapse when she saw one. With luck and God's(Or the Goddess to Asari culture) blessing Shepard would be able to help the Asari.

The door to the hangar opened but Ashley couldn't look up. Her mind was a million kilometers away, worried sick about her own family. Absently she mouthed a prayer she would never have to kill her own mother, or any of her sisters. The idea alone made her dry heave again.

A hand suddenly appeared on her back, reassuring her. A voice whispered in her ears and although she couldn't understand them, the tone was comforting. She looked up and through the tears she saw whiskey brown eyes and a concerned brow. Without thinking she leaned into the man and let his powerful arms encircle her.

"I heard about what happened on the peak." Kaidan kissed her hair softly and the words made her shake with rage and fear. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there."

Ash let herself be coddled in a way no Williams would ever imagine and for this one moment, she showed the weakness of the woman underneath the hardened Marine. She clung to Kaidan like a lifeline, because in her mind that's exactly what he was. Kaidan, for all his faults and stiffness, was more human than anyone she'd ever known. He didn't pretend to understand what she was going through, but he let her known she wasn't alone and that was enough.

After a moment Ashley pulled away and just looked at him. He was so God damned handsome and she thanked God she had found him.

"I'm not." Ash whispered, "What we found up there…the Rachni, the slaughter of ExoGeni workers…Benezia…" she trailed off.

"I read the reports…" Kaidan looked away, "And Shepard has been with Liara in her room for almost an hour."

"Poor girl." Ash whispered. It was then she noticed a small plastic bag at Kaidan's feet. "What's that?"

"Oh…" Kaidan blushed and something like shame crossed his face, "Well while you guys were at the summit, Shepard had me take on some supplies. I had a few extra minutes and I…"

"Did you get me something?" Ash asked, a quizzical smirk on her lips.

"No. Well…yes…but it's not like... a gift or anything." Kaidan squirmed and scratched the back of his neck, "It's not jewelry or a new gun or something like that…"

Ashley found his stuttering demeanor oddly charming and reached for the bag. An aroma she hadn't smelled in months wafted up and her stomach growled in response. Ash reached into the bag and found several white plastic containers. She took the largest out and Kaidan's gaze was anywhere but on her bewildered smile. She smelled the box and moaned.

"Smells amazing." She opened in and stopped, eyes locked on the contents. She slowly looked up at Kaidan, "…did…did you get me a cheeseburger?"

"Well the gourmet restaurant here said it's the most popular meal on the station and…" He trailed off, "Look this was stupid of me. I should have never-"

She seized his face and brought his lips to hers. She laughed into his mouth, enjoying the contact, the absurdity of the moment and the fluttering in her heart. It was stupid, but it the most touching thing she could think of right now. Unbidden memories of her father grilling all her sisters' burgers on the grill flashed in her mind. Absently she wondered if her father had actually sent Kaidan. It would have been just like that dead old goat.

Regardless Ashley felt her heart fluttering.

"It's perfect, Kaidan." She mumbled between kisses, "This is exactly what I need."

_You're exactly what I need. _

Her stomach growled again and she looked back at the still warm burger. "Tell me you got fries."

"Fries and what passes for apple pie." Kaidan reached into the bottom of the bag, pulling out two silver cans, "And how about a brew?"

Ashley laughed and took the can instantly.

"You're a God damned miracle, Kaidan." She said and motioned to the wall next to her as she leaned against it, food resting on her lap, "Stay with me….please… just talk to me."

"About what?" He said and propped himself up against the wall. Ash looked down at her food, thinking of her father.

"Your family." She looked at him with a nostalgic smile, "Tell me about your family Kaidan."

Kaidan smiled and did just that.

0000000

The lights in the medbay were off and the sound dampeners were set to max. Even still the pain and pressure in his head throbbed. Each heartbeat sent further pangs up his spine to the base of his cortex. Even with his implant set to 'dormant' it ached, scratching at his pain receptors. His brain itched and that itched turned into a trip hammer, thumping and thumping until he was convinced his head would burst.

Not an unrealistic possibility, being an L2. He had known more than a few biotics whose implants when critical, turning a neck into a ragged stump of bloody ruins. He had never spiked close to that level of feedback, but every time a migraine came on part of Kaidan wondered if this would be the last one.

The door at the end of the bay opened. Light and sound flooded in, overwhelming his senses.

"GAH!" Kaidan reeled, the pain in his skull spiking, "Fucking hell!"

"Sorry LT." Ash whispered as the door shut. Her footsteps were soft and careful as she approached.

"What-" He groaned, hand pressed tightly against his skull, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you could use some company." Ash said softly. Her voice was low and careful – she knew how much these migraines hurt. Despite himself, Kaidan laughed.

"I doubt I could get it up." He managed, "Sorry."

"Not that!" Ash exclaimed, "Ass!" She quietly pulled over one of the steel chairs and sat. It was pitch black in the medbay and yet she was able to easily find his hand and gave it a squeeze. Kaidan managed to squeeze back.

"Hey Ash." He managed and ran a thumb along her hand. She smiled at the touch.

"Hey" A moment of companionable silence passed. The pain in his skull seemed to lessen with her around, "I brought something." She pulled something from a pocket, "It's a book of poetry. Whenever my sisters or I got sick dad would read to us until we were better…" She blushed and was thankful the room was sill black, "I thought you'd like to give it a try."

"I'm not saying no…" He hesitated, "but I'd really like to keep the lights off."

"Way ahead of you."

Kaidan heard a hushed click and the unmistakable rising hum of an electrical charge. He opened his eyes and saw two dull green lights looking back at him. He laughed.

"Night vision goggles?!" He managed, "Slight misuse of military equipment there Chief."

"I'm Chief of the armory." She smirked, "I'm fairly confident I won't be reporting myself." She looked at him through the green-mat of the goggles. It was grainy but the autofocus had yet to kick in. She opened the small book.

"Ready?"

"I am…and Ash? Thanks."

"No problem." She looked at him one last time before she started to read, "Just relax and close your eyes, LT. I'll watch over you." She smiled at him, "I promise Kaidan. I'll always be here for you."

"Good." He managed, "Because at this point I don't think I'll be letting you go…"

Her heart fluttered and she blushed before beginning:

_I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked, dragging themselves through the negro streets at dawn looking for an angry fix. Angel-headed hipsters burning for the ancient heavenly connection to the starry dynamo in the machinery of the night…_


End file.
